A Forgotten Past
by WhiteSpiritWolf
Summary: Rey had finally found the Jedi Master known as Luke Skywalker. Together, they agreed to train Rey as a Jedi Knight on a distant planet when hell breaks loose in the form of Kylo Ren. Luke is forced to reveal that Rey is more than just a scavenger abandoned on Jakku. Who was she and what did she mean to the boy who was once Ben Solo? Keep your friends close . . .
1. Prologue: Dead Girl Walking

**A/N: It has been done! I have started countless stories, but never posted any. I feel that this is one I can really get into if people actually enjoy it. The story is based off of a theory I have concerning Rey's past. I'll explain it at the end of the actual first chapter in case people have trouble getting it. All forms of criticism welcome, although courtesy would be greatly appreciated. I know my work isn't very smooth, so tips are nice. Beginning is rushed, but gets better later. Enjoy!**

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The Forgotten Past

Prologue: Dead Girl Walking

When Rey stood in front of the man cloaked in robes on the hill, she had an idea of what she was getting herself into. She knew that this was the famous Luke Skywalker. She knew that he was the last of the legendary Jedi. She knew that somehow, for some reason, she could feel the faint thrum of the force around her.

What she didn't know was that she was about to be the Rebellion's last hope.

Finding Skywalker was a test she had now passed. When he approached her on that hill among the ruins and folded her hands over the light saber, she was given the choice to be his pupil. A padawan.

Without words she knew that he was presenting his offer. She could take the mantle of the Jedi's teachings, carrying on the battle against the Sith and the First Order.

She silently accepted. She was already involved, caught within the web spun by the necessities of war. With Luke's help, she could be more than victim to circumstance. She would no longer be a scavenger in any sense of the word.

The whole thing was like a dream. He followed her back down the expanse of rock to the Falcon. There he embraced his old Wookie friend and mourned with the news that Han Solo had been killed. Rey didn't need to feel the trembles of the Force to know that Luke blamed himself.

She and Chewbacca let the old man grieve as they left the planet and the ruins behind. They set a course for D'Qar. Leia would need to see Luke as soon as possible.

"Wait," Rey turned to see Luke behind her co-pilot seat. He was eyeing the coordinate system. "It is not time for me to return, not yet. There is one more place that we must go to."

"Another planet? With all due respect, Master Skywalker, we really need to get back to D'Qar. The Rebellion needs you." ' _Leia needs you'_ she nearly said. She held her tongue. Best not to pressure the man. Luke chuckled at Rey's words. Chewy glanced between the two with an expression Rey could only identify as confusion. She herself didn't understand what was so funny.

"Need me? Child, I am old. My strength grows weaker by the day. It is not me they need, it is you." Rey squashed down the flutter of nerves that threatened to crawl up her back. Her? She had a feeling Luke was going to say something of the sort, but feeling and hearing are two completely different things. Rey had been raised as a loner and the concept of looking out for others was daunting. She grimaced as she reflected on how she could hardly take care of herself in her current state.

Skywalker seemed to have read her mind. Or the Force. She really had no idea how any of this actually worked. "This is why we must begin your training immediately. Chewy, please set the coordinates I am about to give you." A long series of numbers was recited that Chewy plugged into the console. Luke let out a deep breath and closed his eyes. The deep lines of his face slacked and made him appear even older.

Rey finished tweaking the flight path and took a moment to realize just how much the man in front of her had been through. If the stories were true, he was raised in the desert sands just like her. She knew how unforgiving that could be. Other than that, his life was a mess in her eyes.

He was dragged into a war by what could be considered the most unbelievable coincidence in the galaxy. A family he would later learn wasn't even his own was killed. He found out the most dreaded face of said war was his father and then watched the man die. He represented the last of an entire way of life. And now more recently, the nephew entrusted to him was turned to the dark in the most murderous ways possible, forcing the Jedi into recluse for at least a decade.

Rey could only remember a life where she was by herself, but at least she was on a populated planet. Bartering with scraps wasn't much, but it kept her mind going and her determination up. The old Jedi Ruins had _nothing._ It was a wonder how the man behind her was still sane. She let her imagination wander for the moment, trying to recall if she saw any animal tracks or shelters on her hike. The ship's light speed jolted her out of her thoughts.

"We are headed toward an isolated planet known as Lapsid that lies on the outer belt," Luke stated, pinning Rey to the chair with his wizened eyes. "Its small size and lack of civilization will give us the privacy we need to begin your training. Are you prepared?" There was once a time where she would have hesitated. She would have thought of Jakku and the need to be there, to wait for that precious person that haunted the edges of her memory. Now she had something far more important and tangible to worry about. Protecting the loved ones that she had now. Rey wasted no time answering.

"Yes, Master Skywalker."

ox0XOX0xo

Rey used the travel time to tell Luke about herself and what had occurred, starting with her name. Funny how she had gone so long without introducing herself. She assumed living in Jakku would do that to people. Exchanging fists was more common than passing words. Chewy pitched in on the storytelling with a few roars that she translated. Luke was quite an avid listener, drinking in her every word. He was especially impressed when she recalled how she tapped into the Force to escape from her confinement.

Rey was awed by the patience and attentiveness the man exuded. She fervently hoped it was something she could pick up in her future training. Luke then told her his own story, most of which she knew from tales, but it sounded more real coming from the source. She didn't question it when he glazed over his padawan disaster. She herself didn't want to think of that monster of a man called Kylo Ren. She still had nightmares with him reaching for her, pressing into her mind . . .

When they finally exited light speed, Rey found Lapsid was not what she was expecting. Then again, she only had about three other planets to compare it to. One of those could hardly be considered a planet. Take a guess at which one.

From a distance the planet was grey, a dusty sort that was reminiscent of ash. Upon closer inspection one could see the faint glimmer of blue that reflected off the planet's surface. Chewy and Rey were put to the test to land the Falcon as Luke explained the planet's surface.

"Lapsid is covered in forests of trees found nowhere else," Luke began. "They may appear rather plain, but they will be vital in your training. They lack any form of conventional leaves, instead using their branches to filter through the intense winds that surround the planet. Something about this allows them to jam most signals. We should be safe for a degree of time. Just try not to smash into too many."

The Falcon shuddered as they broke through the atmosphere, causing Luke to sway in place.

They pretty much smashed a dozen trees to make a wide enough clearing.

When the door hissed open, Rey gave herself a minute to be in awe. She had no idea what Luke had meant by 'plain'. The trees were grey, true, but in a nearly metallic sense. They gave off a silvery shine, their trunks so thick that Rey's fingertips wouldn't touch if she hugged one. They reminded her of the hulls of expensive ships when rich people flew to Jakku to have others do their dirty work. She eyed the branches that swayed above in the upper winds. They almost looked like the hands on a frail droid, thin and angled, twitching in the air.

The glimmer of blue on the planet's surface, she realized, was caused by the swathes of emerald-blue grass that coated the planet's surface. "I think this is the first time I've seen grass like this," Luke turned to his new padawan with a knowing smile.

"And it will not be the last." He headed towards the thicket with an air of certainty. "We must prepare now."

From then on, Rey's training had truly begun. Chewy managed to operate the Falcon alone and fly himself back to D'Qar. It was just Rey and Luke with a bundle of supplies Chewy was able to spare for them.

Days and weeks passed in a blur. It was clear to Rey that Master Skywalker did not spend his years in solitude slacking. He had been researching. Burying himself in the Force to the point that he truly was one with it. Rey could handle the physical labor, the running, hauling trunks and climbing up the tallest tree. What she struggled with was immersing herself the way her Master could.

Before she knew it, four months had gone by. She could only tell because Chewy came once every two weeks with more supplies. She had yet to master the Force, but she convinced her Master to let her train with the light saber. Rey had no way of knowing how desperately she would need the skills in the coming day.

A ship was approaching Lapsid.

The Force remained silent.

ox0XOX0xo

The nearest star's light signaled the end of another day as it dipped beyond the horizon. Among the trees one could see flashes of blue light glancing off of their eerie silver bark, flickering every few seconds as its source whipped to and fro. Rey stood in the center of the clearing, unaware of the fading light as her eyes were beneath a thick white cloth. The hum of the saber was the only source of noise to meet her straining ears.

 _Feel the Force. Focus. I can do this._ She opened her mind in an attempt to take in her surroundings.

"Be wary of that trick, Rey, it leaves you vulnerable." A sudden jab in her mind caused her to curl back in. This distraction nearly caused her to miss the shudder in the Force.

She pivoted to the left, swinging the humming blade like a bat as she knocked an unseen object from the air, slicing it in two.

"Very good! I nearly got you that time. Trust in the Force and it will come to you. Patience is key in this. That will be all for today." Rey pulled off the sweaty cloth to see her Master across from her. She surveyed the clearing to take note of the dozens of the chunks of tree branches she had cut in half that her Master had Force-thrown at her.

"If we keep this up there won't be any branches left," she joked, disabling the saber. Luke chuckled and shook his head.

"We take only what we need and no more than what can be provided. The forest is under no harm," he turned and began to walk. "Let us return now. It is far darker than I realized."

A smile adorned Rey's face as she walked behind her Master. She realized soon after their arrival that it was never truly 'dark' on Lapsid. The silver of the trees reflected any and all light, giving forest clearings a faint glow. Lapsid's cool nature was such a polar opposite of Jukka that Rey still wasn't sure if she liked it or not. She was beginning to think that she did. Anyplace was pretty much better than Jukka, now that she thought about it.

The wind started to pick up around the duo, whipping wisps of Rey's hair free from their buns. She was enjoying the cool down on her overheated body when she suddenly shuddered.

Her mind immediately screamed that this wasn't from the cold. Then she felt it, like something chilled had slithered up her back and rested in the back of her head. Goosebumps puckered over her skin and she could feel the cold press against her mind. Her body had frozen on impulse.

Rey could see that Luke had as well. _Oh Force, no . . ._

Her Master swiveled to face her, eyes focused but wary. "He has found us." The duo then simultaneously lunged into sprints, pushing themselves in the direction of their camp.

They were both well aware of the risks in coming to this part of the galaxy. One would have to be foolish or naive to think the First Order wasn't doing everything in their power to find them. This forced Rey and Luke to form a plan soon after arriving on this planet. It was rather straightforward.

Signal the Rebellion for a pick up and hide in the forests until they arrive. The signal-blocking ability of the trees made them invisible to the locators the Storm Troopers used. Nearby scout patrols that Leia stationed for them on Lapsid's nearest moon would fly in and pick them up. Things would only get hairy if Kylo Ren arrived to pinpoint them with the Force.

Except he did.

This spurred Rey on as panic flared. Their plan for this situation was relatively the same, but much more grim: Get a signal out so the Rebellion is aware of what was happening and hide in the forest for as long as possible. The nearby rebel scouts were more than likely destroyed, unable to avoid detection from the volatile Force user. They would have to wait for more to be sent.

 _He must be truly desperate to find us on this little rock._

Rey thought of the signaling device she technically stitched together from free parts on the Falcon. She had to boost the machine's signal-sending abilities with extra power nodes and energy compressors, making the cobbled unit too big for easy transport. They were forced to leave it at camp when they went out for intense training.

She was truly beginning to regret not making time to adjust this as the wind whipped against her sprinting form.

As quickly as they had begun their mad race, Luke pulled them both to a stop. The firm grip of the old man on her arm refused to yield. Rey, whose momentum carried her so she was ahead of her Master, faced him with confusion.

"Master, what are you doing?! We don't have time t-"

"We will not make it to the campsite." A calm aura seemed to settle on the Jedi like a mask. The old Skywalker was maintaining a Jedi's serenity in this chaos.

"We won't if we stop! We have to keep going!"

Luke was still trying to coax Rey from her scavenger's instincts. Despite her steady training, she still maintained a 'flight or fight' response to situations. Practicing neither meant an early death on Jakku.

"I say we will not make it because we have already been found. Isn't that right, Ben?" Rey felt her eyes widen as she turned to the path ahead of them.

There was nothing. Only the dark glimmer of the trees and their shadows. There was a moment of silence where even the swaying of the tree tops had stilled. Rey could feel her heart pounding in her ears. The dreaded hiss and hum she was waiting for caused fear to cut into her mind like a physical blade.

"Always observant, aren't you, _Skywalker_."

One of the shadows wavered as the black demon himself emerged from trees to their right.

"Unless, of course, it didn't suit you to be."

Everything was as she remembered it. The dark robes that rustled behind him in the wind, the crackling red saber with the unique hilt, and the mask that hid a face she still had nightmares about.

There was nothing entirely wrong with his face, not before she got a hold of it anyway. It was the fact that this murdering monster was human that she found terrifying. He had a family, a home, and he _chose_ to throw it away. Tossed it to the wind like it was garbage.

It made her wonder in the back of her mind what would have happened to her if she still had nothing. If she would somehow end up like him . . .

"I am aware that I have made mistakes, Ben, and I admit to them, but this is not the right path," Luke removed his hand from Rey's trembling arm. "The Dark Side brings only suffering. Surely you must see that now! Your mother mourns-"

A log shot from within the forest straight for the Jedi's head. Rey felt the force warp in the surrounding area as Luke stopped the improvised missile in air and forced it into the ground.

"I did not come to talk, old man, I came for your head," Ren raised his saber up, pointing it toward Rey. "And her's as well."

With no other warning, Ren bolted forward, his lightsaber held back to swing forward in an arc that would cut Rey in half. Rey shoved all of her fears away and activated her own saber. Sparks and screeches filled the air as the blades of light collided. Her expression steeled as she looked into the illuminated mask. Rey was now in fight mode. She would fight with everything she had or die trying.

 _I beat him once, I can do it again!_ She pushed against him, knocking him back only to have him swing forward again.

They were like magnets, pushing and pulling at one another, darting between trees. Luke kept his distance from the clashing titans, using the Force to guide Rey as well as throw objects to distract Ren. Rey was thankful for training in the cramped forest as she slipped among the trees. Ren's frustration and rage were palpable in the air as he felled several trees in swinging at her. In between the periods of smashing blades, Rey started to feel confident. She felt she actually had a strong chance of winning.

Until they stumbled into a clearing. Then Rey realized just how wrong she was. She might have won her last clash against Kylo, but he was injured. And for a fleeting moment Rey wondered if he was holding back before. Wasn't he hoping to teach her?

Once clear of the trees, the black demon became a whirlwind of speed. Rey would deflect from one side only to immediately twist to block the other. The strength she had built over the months was very well the only thing keeping her alive.

By the Force, did none of the damage dealt by her and Finn stick? As she feigned left to get to his exposed side, a large branch manipulated by Luke swung up from behind Kylo, catching him against the side of his head. Rey heard a sharp snap as Ren grunted and stumbled away from her.

She was a second too late in taking the opportunity as Ren roared in anger and threw his hand up at Luke. Rey twisted her head to see her Master suddenly airborne and thrown against a tree. The crack that echoed through the clearing froze the blood in her veins.

"Luke, No!"

 _Don't drop your guard!_ The Force screamed.

The next few seconds seemed to move in slow motion. Rey turned her head back to see Ren bearing down on her, lightsaber poised to bisect her from her left shoulder to her right hip. She held her saber up to block when Kylo suddenly changed his angle. Instead of slamming down on her, he knocked against her saber so it was pointed down to her right. His saber was on top of hers and Rey realized her mistake when-

"AAUGH!" Pain ripped across her as Kylo swung his saber up, slicing her from mid bicep up to her right collar bone. Lights flashed in her vision as her right arm went limp, dropping a now disabled saber to the blood splattered grass below. It was immediately pulled through the Force into Ren's waiting hand. Instinct and pain pushed her to stumble back from the enraged robed figure. She shoved herself against a tree in an effort to stabilize herself, glaring in defiance to the one who wounded her.

Ren was heaving and Rey realized in the midst of her glaring that his mask was damaged from Luke's attack. The side the branch hit warped the area, blocking part of his line of sight. Ren must have calmed enough to realize this as well. He clipped her saber to his belt and ripped off the damaged mask with one hand. Rey noted the nice pink scar she left him, stretching from his right cheek all the way up to the bridge of his nose. She didn't stop the smug well of pride that she actually left a mark. The rest of his face looked even paler in comparison as his dark hair whipped back in the growing nightly winds. She would have said the shadows under his eyes made him look tired if she didn't know better.

He must have taken note of her moment of pride, because Ren's rage was all too visible now. His furrowed brows emphasized his obsidian eyes, where there was no light to be seen. Only the dark.

Rey was trying to put pressure on her injured arm when a groan from across the clearing dragged her from her throws of pain. Luke was lifting himself off the ground, crimson matting his hair and running over his closed right eye. His left eye was open wide with shock. How had they both been defeated so simply?!

Kylo was brandishing his unnatural saber, relishing in his victory as he stalked toward the closest of his injured prey: Rey.

"Ben! Stop! You don't understand!"

"Ben is dead," Ren continued his slow approach. "And I understand everything _clearly._ " He returned Rey's defiant glare, his own filled with disgust and wrath. A sneer pulled at his lips, twisting his scar in a way that should be painful.

"Your precious padawan will never give in to the Dark Side. I realize this. And if she won't join the Dark Side," He raised his saber. Rey's final defiant glare gave way to fear as what was happening finally registered. Her eyes widened.

"Then she will die by it!"

" _Blast it Ben, she is Amiri!"_ Luke's yell rang out, silencing all else as his echoes whispered in the trees. Rey halfheartedly realized that this was the first time she had heard Luke raise is voice.

What she full heartedly realized was that the figure that towered in front of her, the one whose weapon was poised to cleave off her head, had stilled. Rey looked into the face of her coming death to see eyes, not of anger, but of genuine surprise. Rey's eyes must have mirrored his when he actually lowered the crackling red blade. She watched as his eyes quickly reverted back to their more familiar glare. He kept the blade pointed in her direction but turned his head to yell back across the clearing.

"Your lies will not sway me, _uncle_ ," the word was all but spat from his mouth. Luke was struggling to pull himself up using a tree as a prop. Ren continued on unfazed. "You and I both know Amiri is dead." Luke was now leaning heavily, but looked unto his nephew with a melancholy smile.

"Have you truly blinded yourself so much, Ben?"

Rey saw the rage flare up in Kylo's-no, Ben's dark eyes. Confusion still swam through her mind.

 _Who the heck is Amiri and what is going on?_ She watched the confrontation between the Skywalkers escalate.

Luke pulled himself straight, trying to stress the importance of his next words. "You will see if you open your mind. Let the Force show you the truth!"

" _I SEE ENOUGH, YOU OLD FOOL! I AM A SITH LORD!"_ In the blink of an eye Ben was turned around and Rey found the saber at her throat. "Tonight, I shall fulfill my grandfather's mission and destroy the Rebellion's final hope! I will prove my power!"

Rey was prepared this time. She refused to lapse into fear. That would only give this monster what he wanted. Instead she furrowed her brows and turned her chin up to face the man who used to be Ben.

"Do your worst, Ben Solo." Her words did not waver. Her voice was firm.

Kylo Ren intended to do just that. He would show them! He would bring their heads to Supreme Leader Snoke! The Rebellion would fall to their knees for the final time! People would hear his name and tremble in fear and awe as they had for his grandfather before him! No one would stop him as he followed the Sith way and killed his Master Snoke, taking the throne as all powerf-

 _Benny…!_

And suddenly, like the most fragile of glass, his vision of grandeur broke away to reveal a pair of bright childlike eyes. Eyes he had locked away in his mind with any other emotions he found unnecessary. As quickly as it appeared, the vision faded, but the eyes were still there. Older, wiser. . .

And glaring at him with defiance.

Rey wouldn't have believed the transformation if she didn't see it herself. One moment she was a hairbreadth away from decapitation by a psychopath. The next, the saber was gone, pointed toward the ground.

Ben's face went slack, his eyes wide with blatant shock. The expression made him look like a lost child. To Rey's surprise, she could actually see something that looked _human_ about him. Faint murmurs emanated from him as he backed away from her like she was diseased. The muttering grew to a point where Rey could actually hear him. She noted that as he backed away, his frightened eyes never left hers.

"Nonononono No! NO! NO! Impossible! I. . ." He raised his left hand, shakily pointing at her and yet reaching for her at the same time.

" _I_. . . _I killed you!"_


	2. Chapter 1: The Limiting Factor

**Happy New Year Everybody! I must say, I almost punched a wall with glee when I saw all of the favorites and follows! I was so excited, I got right on to writing the next two chapters. Thank you to those who took the time to review, your kind words helped me belt these out faster! Enjoy!**

 **No walls were harmed in the making of this chapter.**

 **Actually, wait. . .**

* * *

 _Thirteen Years ago_

The rapid clicking of his boots against the stone floor failed to reach him through the pounding blood rushing in his ears. Adrenalin and anger drove him down the narrow hall, frustrating thoughts trailing in his mind.

 _How dare he. How dare he!_

He paid no mind to the stunning green view that the large open windows provided as he shot by. His eyes were trained on the single set of dark double doors that mocked him at the end of the hallway. The Force yielded to his demand and slammed one of them open.

"Uncle!"

A man, known to many as Luke Skywalker, sat at the simple desk across from the doors. A circular window on the wall behind him illuminated his form, making the middle-aged Master look almost ethereal. To many he was a living legend. To the select few, family.

His right arm was laid out in front of him with a piece of synthetic skin pulled up. Several wires and small pieces were scattered out by a toolbox to his left. Luke's head rose from his work with a surprised expression, pulling back a tool from the hydraulics of his open wrist. He noted that uninvited guest was none other than his own young nephew.

"Ben? Is everything al-"

 _Slam!_

Ben Solo did not care for his uncle's pleasantries, concerns, or whatever the frack it was he was doing. He needed answers and he needed them _now._

Within seconds, he had strode forward and smashed his hands down on the desk, rattling the loose pieces. Deep brown met sky blue as he glared into the Skywalker's eyes.

"Are the rumors true?" Luke's surprise shifted to confusion. Ben's frustration escalated. "Is it true you are taking on another Padawan?!" The confusion lasted for only another second before a smile crawled onto the Jedi's features.

"I see that nothing can get past my students anymore," Luke swapped the tool in his hand for another and started to re-bond his skin. "Who was it that caught on? Was it Jaden? I recall that he walked in on that special call. It was meant to be a surprise."

"A surprise?!" Ben huffed. He leaned over the desk. "The terrible kind, yes! How are we supposed to get any stronger if you keep holding us back with pathetic excuses?" Luke's eyes remained downward as he worked, the small smile still annoyingly plastered to his face.

"Growing strong need not be a race, young Padawan. Sometimes taking things easy now will help you understand more later." A hiss filled the air as the skin finished bonding. "More importantly is that strength is only a small part of your lessons." Luke gave his wrist an experimental twist before appearing satisfied with his work. He packed away his tools and gave his nephew his full attention. He sensed he was in for a rant.

"I don't _want_ to understand things later, I _need_ to know them now! You have been slacking off on parts of the necessities of our training!"

Ben's brows furrowed as he leaned farther forward. "What kind of Padawans are we that we don't even have lightsabers yet? Certainly not any I have read about in the old documents! All we have done for most of our lives on this pathetic planet is meditate on the Jedi teachings and swing sticks at each other! Where is the strength in that, uncle? Some of us should be Knights by now!" Ben's fingers were turning white from the pressure he was exerting down "And now, when we finally have the opportunity to take missions, you bring in a _child_?!"

Luke's smile was slowly fading as Ben's rant went on. He now held the stern countenance of a teacher preparing to correct a wayward pupil. His student's normally pale face was flushed with his building emotions, waiting for his uncle to speak. Luke waited for a moment to let the Padawan calm before opening his mouth.

"You appear to be confusing the difference between the support of strength and the force of power. Be wary of the line that divides the two, Ben, or you will find yourself on a much darker path," Luke stood up from his desk. "Come, walk with me." Ben straightened himself and removed his hands from the desk, biting down his agitation. The difference between power and strength? Were they not one and the same? He trailed after his uncle and Master. Now two sets of clicking filled the stone hall.

"Yes, I have accepted a new Padawan. Her Force sensitivity is great and she shows great promise. I can understand your frustration, but it is pointless," Luke glanced to the teenager beside him. "I am merely one Jedi. Things cannot be the same as old because they are _not_ the same as old. Each Padawan should have their own Master, yet there is only me. Each Padawan should have a lightsaber, but a series of events keep us from the necessary parts. I know that I said I would take you all on missions, but the danger out there is too great for me to keep you all safe."

"We can handle ourselves-" Luke held up his hand, silencing the boy. The two had exited the hall and stopped in the middle of the large room. The courtyard was visible from the open wall to their left, letting the midday light shine over the cream colored stones of the temple.

"I know how hard you have all worked, but it is not yet time. Dark things are brewing beyond this planet, surely you can feel it as well," Ben lowered his eyes, refusing to answer. "This is why I tell you, let go of your frustration. Feeling anger towards a situation will not change it. It will only pull you into the dark and bathe everything in sorrow. As a Jedi, we must accept the things that are beyond our control and strive to better the things that are."

Luke was entirely serious, looking at the young man with some sort of expectation.

"Do you understand, Ben?"

Several emotions flickered across Ben's pale face before he settled on an expression of passive indifference.

"And what of the new Padawan? Things are undoubtedly going to have to change because of her addition." His voice was flat and direct, void of the passion that had filled it before. Luke appeared grateful, the tension that had settled in his shoulders finally releasing.

"She will be joining us late tonight. I intend to introduce her in tomorrow's morning exercises. Which reminds me of a request have for you," the boy inclined his head, but made no other movement.

"You are my most gifted Padawan in regards to connecting and using the Force. If you truly wish to change things, then maybe you could help train our new student in Force usage." Brown eyes widened slightly. Luke's twinkled as his smile grew. "Your constant tutelage would get her to a decent level of mastery in little to no time. The other students would catch up to your level and you yourself would gain experience in the value of responsibility. Think of it as a small mission of sorts. What do you think?"

Ben lowered his eyes again, this time wandering in thought.

"As you wish, uncle."

"Ah, Ben," Ben looked up to see his uncle scan the room quickly before returning his gaze. "We are in a public space." Realization struck and Ben lowered his head.

"Forgive me. As you wish, Master Skywalker."

"Thank you Ben. I'll be in meditation until tonight. You know where to find me if need be. Good day, Ben."

"Good day, Master." With that note, Ben quickly walked to the hallway at the other end of the room.

He ignored most of the doors along this path, only slowing when he reached one near the end of the hall. He opened it by hand and gently closed it behind him. A sort of comfort washed over him as he found solace in his own room. Sparse as it was, like all Jedi rooms, it gave him the time he greatly needed to reflect on his own thoughts without the interruption of his peers. And reflecting was something he needed to do now.

Thoughts started to tumble into his head, causing pressure and confusion to build in his mind.

 _That's the Jedi way, huh? Settle for scraps while the galaxy goes to hell! What's the point of training if we can't put it into practice and do something now!_

Like a detonator priming to go off, various loose objects in his room began to shake. His desk rattled against the wall. The air itself seemed to tense and vibrate.

 _The difference between strength and power? Foolish man, why don't you quit these ridiculous riddles and teach us! I will never live up to our family line with these stupid hindrances!_ Fists were clenched now. Ben was too distracted to see that certain objects were now levitating off of the ground.

 _And now you want me to teach some gifted brat and let the others catch up. Are you blind, man? Can you not see that I want to surpass them all! I will never make a name for myself like you and Grandfather if I am just one of many! Damn it!_

"Augh!" Ben swung his fist out and slammed it into the closest wall, trying to vent some of the chaos in his head.

A chair suddenly flew up and crashed against the same wall.

It took a split second for Ben to realize that he had gone too far. Years of Jedi training and conditioning quickly kicked in. Ben wiped his mind of thoughts and closed his eyes, trying to slow his breathing. He recited part of the Jedi mantra in his head. _There is no emotion, only peace. No emotion, only peace. Only peace . . ._

Once the pumping sound in his head slowed and his much needed control was restored, Ben opened his eyes to survey the damage. There was now a sizable chip in the stone of his wall and what used to be the chair was now a twisted mess of splinters and wood.

"Well this is going to be hard to explain."

ox0XOX0xo

Avkir was a planet that many overlooked. It was small, isolated, and simple by most planets standards.

Thank the Force that it was.

When Order 66 was given and the Jedi were slaughtered, many of their temples and bases were also obliterated. The old Sith were determined to wipe out the Jedi and destroy any chance of recovery. But as thorough as they tried to be, as impassioned as their desire was, they could not hope to eliminate every possible sign of the peacekeeping organization. There were still several smaller bases scattered throughout the galaxy that the old Empire didn't know existed.

Avkir held such a place. In the midst of its rocky hills and green planes, a lone temple stood proud. It was here that almost fifteen years ago, Luke Skywalker decided to begin resurrecting the ways of the Jedi.

The temple was not large by any means, designed more as a base for Jedi taking long missions outside of the galaxy. It was constructed by rather plain and pale blocks of stone with a design that left it open to the outside elements. Vines and plant life climbed its walls and flourished. There was no sign of any other sentient species. There was just the simple pale temple that nature was striving to reclaim.

Through the eyes of a little girl who had never seen such green, it was the most beautiful thing in the galaxy.

The small child was sitting up on her knees, her hands pressed against the glass window of her parent's cruiser as curious eyes drank in the sight. Could planets really be this vibrant?! Granted, it was harder to see with the dying light, but still! She eyed the temple approaching quickly and could hardly contain her glee. She was going to live here! She was going to see green every day and make new friends and learn new things and practice cool sword stuff and-

"Get away from the glass, love, we are about to land shortly."

"Yes, mom!" The child obeyed her parent and sat in her seat correctly, but continued to stare out the window with stars in her eyes. _Things are going to be better now,_ she thought.

Within a few minutes the cruiser was maneuvered into the wide courtyard.

The young girl had noticed from higher up that the temple looked like an upside down 'U', except angled instead of curved and with extensions coming off and out each tip at a 90 degree angle. _I wonder what those are for._ She pondered for a moment. A gasp slipped from her lips. _What if this entire place is secretly a ship and those things are wings! But what could power such a silly looking ship?_

Eager to see more, the girl started bouncing in her seat. "Let's go, let's go! It's right there, mom, look how pretty it is!"

"Yes sweetie, it is pretty." The mother replied solemnly. The man who had landed the cruiser opened the exit hatch. The child wasted no time in removing the loose restraint that was laying haphazardly on her lap. While her parents moved slowly, almost with dread, the enthusiastic girl was already running down the hatch. When her feet hit the smooth stone she breathed deeply, relishing just how _clean_ the air was. It's cool weight infused her with energy, like blessing from the sky. _This place must be paradise!_

While enjoying the climate, her youthful ears picked up the faint chirping of a native bug. Joy lit up her face and she began to pinpoint the source of such unique music. Where was it? What was it? How was it doing that?

Before she could explore further, her mother and father appeared behind her.

"Come on, dear, let's go in," her father said. He put a hand on her upper back and directed toward the stair leading from the courtyard to the actual building.

From the courtyard area in front of the open end of the 'U', she realized that while the entire structure had a roof, the wall with the entrance doors didn't start until halfway in. The entire first half of the building was like a roofed patio, open to the elements. Some sort of strange stones that she had never seen before were set in the wall nearly two meters up. They glowed with a soft yellow light ( _Almost like little stars!_ She thought), giving the temple a warm and inviting vibe as she and her parents reached the top of the steps.

Wonder-filled eyes frantically scanned the open room. Where there monsters hiding somewhere? How did those lights work? She heard a noise on her right and whipped her head around to see a man coming down a hallway.

 _So that's what those extensions are!_

The man looked normal enough. He had tousled sandy brown hair and the makings of what could eventually be a decent beard if he let it keep growing. Most of him was covered in a long brown cloak, but she could catch glimpses of a pale brown tunic as the cloak swayed out behind him. A wide belt held it together at his tummy and his pants were tucked into big boots that went up to his knees. She looked back up to his now closer face to see that the man had a nice smile.

"Sir and Lady Glaven, I presume?" He was now nearly in front of the trio.

"Yes, that would be us," her father didn't seem as welcoming compared to the man with the nice smile.

The child wondered if it was because his fuzzy face wasn't as neat as the smiley man's.

"Well, I would like to welcome you all to our refuge. I am Master Luke Skywalker," smiley man held out his hand. Her father shook it. "You are earlier than I expected, but that should be fine. I suppose I could show you the dining room while the students finish up in the training hall. Then I believe it would be best to-"

"That will not be necessary," her father cut him off. The smiley man named Luke lost his smile. The girl suddenly didn't like it, she wanted the smile back. It didn't feel right.

"May I ask what the problem is? In our previous message, you showed interest in getting familiar with the temple."

"We are a bit short on time," her mother answered. "We really need to leave soon, but I would like to know more. Would a quick rundown be possible?" Luke smiled again, but it did not reach his eyes as much.

"I see. It's no problem at all. I guess I will start with the rooming arrangements. . ."

And from there on the girl tuned out. This grown up talk was too boring.

She moved back and forth on her feet, wary not to bump into her father's left side, listening to the pleasant hum of the bugs from the courtyard area behind her.

Then she heard another door open. This time it was on her left. The clicking of this person's feet were much faster, almost rushed. She peered down the hall only to find that she couldn't see well. This hallway's light stones seemed to be turned off. She could feel her excitement rise as the clicks grew louder. And from the shadows emerged. . .

A boy.

To her though, he could very well be an adult. He was tall and wearing a tunic slightly darker than Luke's. In one of his hands was a long wooden pole or staff of some kind. He glanced over at them but then kept moving. Whatever he saw didn't appear to interest him.

That is, until he stopped in his tracks and looked right at her with some of the widest eyes she'd ever seen. She didn't think she had ever seen anyone whip their head around that fast either. Maybe he wasn't completely human?

She could now see his face clearer. He looked pale with a rather large nose dominating his face. She couldn't see any more details than that with a light orb right behind him. What she thought was really cool was his hair. It looked so soft! It was dark and full, just reaching the nape of his neck. A thin braid of hair hung from in front of his right ear, reaching down to the point on his neck where his shoulder began. When she glanced back down to his eyes she saw how they had narrowed.

Uh oh. She didn't want to offend him! Maybe they could be friends? She wanted to make a good impression and get to know everybody here.

The girl put on a big smile and waved.

The boy stared at her for another moment. Then he appeared to scoff and went back to walking toward the center doors. Her smile dropped and turned into a pout. Well, there is no need to be so rude about it!

She stuck her tongue out at him as he retreated behind the doors.

 _Jerk._

ox0XOX0xo

"So that was the brat," Ben muttered. _She really is a fracking kid!_

When Ben first caught a glimpse of the man and woman talking to his uncle, he didn't think anything of it. They didn't look all that special. Plain garbs, nothing flashy, nothing decorative, he assumed they must be some sort of delivery service sent to bring them more supplies. Then he saw something small sway in his peripheral vision.

He and his uncle's argument from earlier in the day registered. He put a stop to everything to get a clear second look.

Sure enough, there she was. A little girl no older than six or seven, swaying back and forth in her father's shadow. She was small, would probably barely reach his hip. In the dim light he could make out that she was wearing some sort of deep green poncho that covered most of her. Her hair looked to be light brown, partially pulled into a single bun at the back of her head while the rest was put into a braid she had slung over her shoulder. When he looked at her eyes he found that the light brown orbs were staring right at him. _What does she think she's looking at?_ He glared.

The orbs widened slightly before crinkling, a big smile pushing up her childish cheeks. She waved at him.

She _waved_ at _him!_

What did she think this was, some sort of friendly buddy hook-up time?! This was a _Jedi Temple._ They were here to train and dedicate their lives to the Force. Nothing more, nothing less.

He scoffed. _She better learn to buck up and face reality, or she's going to be miserable._

He turned his back on the child and returned to trying to get to training. He was already late enough without getting distracted by a clueless child.

ox0XOX0xo

Luke silently glided into his room and closed the door behind him.

 _This did not turn out as I had hoped._

The parents of the girl had listened to his every word, nodding their heads and looking him in the eyes, but he could feel their growing agitation. There was something very wrong with this couple and he didn't need the Force to sense this.

Luke's spirits had risen when he had detected something interesting occurring. He had sensed his nephew pass by momentarily behind him, approaching the main doors to get to training that he was undoubtedly late for. Luke was in the middle of explaining lightsaber training when he felt a flicker in the Force. It was brief, but bright. He spared a moment, still talking as he did so, to glance and the girl who currently had her tongue out of her mouth. He then returned his attention to the parents when he heard Ben close the door behind him. _This is intriguing . . ._

He continued without any further distractions. It was when he had finished with his improvised oral tour that things went awry.

"I believe that covers most of it. Might I meet the special young lady?" Luke tried to give an encouraging smile to the child. She smiled back and held up her hand.

"Hello sir, I'm Amiri Glaven."

She had the same slight accent he detected in her parent's voices. It made her youthful voice sound more lilting and melodious.

"Amiri, huh? That's a pretty name," Luke took the girl's hand and shook it gently. "Well Amiri, would you like to see your new room?"

"Would I!" Amiri's face lit up. She continued to hold his hand as he led them to the left, the Padawan's East Wing. She was compliant until Luke felt a tug and found that she had turned back around to the retreating form of her parents.

"Mom! Dad! Aren't you coming?" The figure of her mother halted on the stairs.

A sob could be heard. Their dark figures kept moving.

Luke saw the shift in Amiri's face. What was once filled with joyous excitement was now darkened by a somber expression.

"We weren't going to live here together, were we." It wasn't a question. Luke felt sorrow seep out of her small form.

"They didn't tell you?" She shook her head.

"They never do."

And just like that, the sadness was masked. Amiri looked up at him with a smile. "You're going to show me my new room, right?"

"Of course, right this way."

Luke could still remember feeling the smothered waves of sorrow as he led her by the hand to her new life. All inquiries as to whether she was all right were waved away, the girl insisting that she was fine.

 _Child, just what have you been through?_

* * *

 **Okay, theory time! Feel free to skip if you don't care for theories.**

 **So I was searching the internet one day after watching the new movie when I stumbled upon Kylo and Rey's ages. It turns out that their canon ages are 28 and 19. So I thought to myself 'how old was Ben went he turned dark and killed his peers?' For some reason I thought it would make sense if he was a teenager, around fifteen or sixteen, making Rey six or seven.** **And then it hit me: _How old did Rey look when she was abandoned on Jakku?_ ****If memory serves right, she looked to be around six. This made me think 'what if there is a connection?' Rey being abandoned on Jakku was related to Ben going Dark. The only way a connection could be made, I realized, was _if Rey was a Padawan along with Ben and somehow survived._ And thus, this story was born. I'm probably completely wrong, but hey, and interesting story is coming out of it. *Shrugs* Love it, hate it, let me know what you think!**


	3. Chapter 2: Befriending the Devil

**Second chapter, coming right up! You can sort of see here why I gave Rey 'Amiri' as her old name. Enjoy!**

There was pain. So much pain. . .

"Don't leave me! Come back!"

It was too dark. Why was it so dark? It hurts. There was a faint pounding noise.

She reached out. There was someone here that she needed to find.

The pounding grew louder.

"Please don't leave me by myself!"

Louder.

". . . Amiri?"

She blinked. The darkness was gone. Caught off guard, the girl sat up and frantically searched her surroundings. She was in a bed. Blankets were tangled around her slim legs and sweat was dribbling down her neck. The small pale room was empty. Nothing but a wooden desk and a dresser were there, pushed against separate walls. A small bag that she realized must have held her belongings sat on the desk. A set of folded clothes rested on the dresser.

 _Oh._

She was in the temple. She was here to control her gift and become a Jedi Knight. A deep breath was released. "Thank goodness," she murmured.

A sudden knocking noise caused her to jolt. It took her only a second to realize that someone was behind her closed door.

"Hello? Amiri?" Amiri pulled her legs from the twisted trap they had caught themselves in and stumbled to the door.

"Coming!" Amiri messed with the handle before the door finally opened. She pulled so hard that she almost flew back on her butt. "Sorry, I was sleeping and-whoa."

Amiri paused as she took in the person in front of her.

"You . . . you're red!"

A female inhuman, looking close to around sixteen or so years old, raised a questioning brow. "Of course I am. I'm a Lethan. Why, do you think it's funny?" She sounded threatened.

"What? No! I think it's actually really pretty." The alien maintained her glare for a moment before a grin pulled at her ruby lips.

"Pretty, huh? Not bad, kid. My name is Heekra," the alien held out her hand. Amiri smiled and took it.

"Amiri."

"I know. And you're late for our first lesson."

Amiri was still shaking her hand.

Then her smile faltered.

Then Heekra's words made their way to her brain.

" _Oh No!"_ Amiri ripped her hand from Heekra's, darting back into her room. Heekra's laughter followed her.

"Don't worry about it, just put on your new robes and follow me," she closed the door to give Amiri privacy as the smaller girl fumbled around to put on her tan colored tunic. Once she pulled her hair up into a single bun and a braid, she opened the door to see Heekra leaning against the opposing wall.

"Ready?" Amiri nodded and trailed behind the tall girl. She kept sneaking glances from the corner of her vision. Heekra was a deep crimson red, similar to the fading sunsets that Amiri would watch from her room back home. From the alien's head, two large tentacle like parts hung down. She had some sort of brown head band that rested where the tentacles first started. It had flaps fitted over the cone like nodes Amiri realized must be her ears.

"Would you like me to answer any questions, or does staring tell you all you need to know?"

She turned her eyes to Heekra's face to see the girl staring back with a smug look. Busted.

"Sorry, I've just never seen anyone quite like you."

"You've never seen a Twi'lek?"

"I thought you said you were a Lethan?" Heekra scoffed, pretending to be offended, but smiled. The two girls exited the hall and made their way toward the main doors.

"A Lethan is a type of Twi'lek. We are recognized as rare because our skin color is so unique." She took it upon herself to push open the door. Amiri thanked her and hurried inside. "I'm surprised you've never seen one. Actually, wait, I guess that would depend one your home planet. Where are you from?"

". . . Catera . . ." Amiri breathed.

"Catera? I've never heard of it. Hey, what are you just standing there for?" Heekra had closed the door only to turn and see Amiri standing still with her shoulders slacked, mouth hung open in awe. Heekra followed her gaze and chuckled. "Yeah, I guess it's pretty neat. I don't notice it much anymore. You get used to things after seeing them every day of your life."

"How could you not notice _that?_ "

Upon entering, Amiri had quickly noted that this rectangular part of the temple that made up the back of the angled 'U' was divided into thirds. They had entered a hall only a few extra feet wider than the door that made up the middle third. Large mahogany double doors lined the right and left walls, accessing the rooms that made up the two outside thirds. What had Amiri awed was the fact that nearly the entire wall at the end of this thinner middle third was made of glass. Not just normal glass, but _colored glass_.

She had never seen glass put to use like this. The light of morning filtered through, splashing the normally pale stone walls with an intensity of color. It was beautiful. _Why don't they do this with every window?_

Heekra huffed, looking down at Amiri with a smile. The small girl giggled when she saw that a large splotch of orange cover her older comrades face. "You think it's pretty now? You should see it at dusk. The sun follows a path that lines it up with the glass as it goes down." Heekra didn't think the human child could smile any wider. She was proved wrong. The little girl was now nearly vibrating with joy.

The Twi'lek patted Amiri's head, ruffling some of the hair loose from its bindings, before walking on ahead. "Come on, kid, no more playing around. We've got meditation to get to and Master Skywalker can't delay it forever." Nodding, Amiri trailed after her.

Heekra headed toward the double doors at the end of the hall to their right. She stopped before them, her hands on the handles, and glanced at Amiri. "Don't worry so much, none of us bite," she nodded to the girl's hands, which the child just realized were twisting her tunic. "Just be your cute little self and you'll be fine." With those last words of encouragement, the doors were opened.

Amiri let her observational skills take over as she surveyed the situation. The doors she had gone through opened up at one end of the room. Directly in front of her she could see mister-ahem, _Master_ Skywalker sitting cross legged on the floor. In front of him where six other people, also sitting cross legged on individual mats. She could see that one of them wasn't human, sporting orange skin with white markings on the eyes. A pair of silver and white striped horns rested on his head that turned into head tentacles similar to Heekra's as they went down. The others just looked like normal people.

She even caught sight of that rude guy sitting in the back! It then caught her attention that he was staring at her. Amiri looked again to realize that they were all staring at her.

 _Gulp._

"Ah, Amiri! We were waiting for you," Master Skywalker pulled himself up with practiced grace and walked toward them. He turned his kind gaze to Heekra.

"Thank you for doing this, Heekra. You may take your place now." The Twi'lek gave a short bow.

"It was no trouble at all, Master." She gave a quick wink to Amiri and moved forward. She settled herself on a mat at the end of the first of the two rows. Luke gestured for the small girl to follow him into the room. He stood over the same place where he was sitting with Amiri at his side and gazed into his cluster of students.

"My Padawans, this is Amiri Glaven. She was meant to be a surprise, but I get the feeling you were all already informed of her coming arrival," Amiri swore she saw his eyes flicker to a teenage boy in the front with short blond hair. The boy made no move to give away that he had noticed it. "She is now your fellow Padawan and will be training alongside you all. As her seniors, I expect you all to welcome her and guide her with the patience that comes with becoming a Jedi Knight." Luke turned away from his students to crouch down to Amiri's height. His voice was now much gentler.

"Now, every day we come to this room for morning meditation. After that, you are given time to yourself where you may train or practice whatever it is you wish to study. We all come together after lunch to learn the teachings of the Jedi Code. Training for lightsabers comes before dinner. As you are new to all of this and still only a Jedi Youngling in terms of knowledge, I would like you to work with your fellow Padawans and I in your free time. Do you think you can do this?"

Amiri looked into his eyes and nodded her head. "Yes, Master Skywalker." The Master smiled.

"Very good. I believe there is another mat behind Heekra. Go ahead and take a seat."

She slowly walked around past her new friend to seat herself on the small mat. She was next to the jerk guy, but she figured it wouldn't matter if they all had their eyes closed and their mouths shut.

Master Skywalker led them through it as Amiri closed her eyes. Many of the students were murmuring a passage she wasn't familiar with, so she decided to just calm her body as if she was going to sleep. It was . . . kind of . . . nice?

Eh.

Maybe not the most amazing of experiences. She kept fidgeting.

What felt like hours later, Master Skywalker asked them to open their eyes. "You are now free to train. I myself will be reviewing the Jedi Code in the records room if you would like to join me."

Amiri got up, thinking she was going to see what Heekra was doing.

"You're not allowed to leave yet."

"Huh?" It was the mean boy. Now that he was closer and under brighter lights, she could see that he really was kind of pale. He had a bunch of freckles, small and large, speckling his face. His eyes were dark, nothing like Master Skywalker's bright blue or Heekra's warm orange.

"Are you deaf? You're not allowed to leave. Master Skywalker told me that I am the one who has to train you in the Force. So you're going to be trained." He spun himself around on his mat so that he was now facing her. "Sit."

"You don't have to be so rude about it," she responded. His dark brows furrowed.

"Rude? For the times you are working with me, I am your Master, Padawan or not. I will tell you what to do and how to do it and you will learn by complying."

What? That didn't justify anything!

"Respect is earned, not deserved! If you are a good teacher and treat me like a worthy pupil, I will have no problems with listening to you. Command me around and I'll go find someone else!" He raised an eyebrow at her words, but seemed unfazed.

"No one is better than me at Force manipulation in this temple."

"Maybe not, but they'll definitely be better at keeping a student."

Amiri may have touched a nerve. The boy's face started to flush from his ears to his cheeks. His hands that were resting on his knees clenched. He closed his eyes and she could tell that he was trying to calm himself from his deep breathing. Within a few seconds the tension released and the flushing faded. He opened his eyes and stared at her.

"Fine. Would you _please_ take a seat and let me show you how to connect to the Force." His words sounded forced, but his eyes almost looked like they were pleading. Amiri put her hand to her chin, acting like she was deep in thought.

"Weeeeeeeell . . ." The boy's mouth dropped open slightly.

"Okay!" She plopped down on the mat and looked at the boy's face, an innocent looking smile on her own. He just stared at her for a few more seconds before shaking his head. When he looked at her again he had a face that was stuck between serious and indifferent. She wasn't quite sure how he was doing that.

"Tell me, did you feel the Force at all during meditation?" She shook her head.

"I don't think so, was I supposed to?"

"It's part of the reason for the daily meditation. Tap into the Force to learn how to see and work through it. For example, I could sense that you wouldn't stop wiggling the entire time."

"No way! You only know because I was right next to you!" He smirked.

"True, you were moving enough that everyone probably just heard you. Through the Force, however, I can 'see' you in a unique way. Do you even know what the Force is?"

Amiri pondered. "It's this power stuff that's in everything, right?" He nodded his head.

"Close. It's an energy field that connects all living things. We Jedi are able to tap into it due to a special substance inside us called midi-chlorian. Through this, we can manipulate the world around us. Now," he reached around a pulled out a bag from his belt. With a quick tug on the drawstrings, he dumped a bunch of marbles on the floor between them both. "I want you to use the Force and lift a few marbles." Amiri's jaw went slack as she switched her gaze from the marbles to him. His face seemed almost smug now.

"That's impossible!"

"Not for us, it's not. Unless Master Skywalker was wrong about you?" His voice trailed off on that last statement, questioning her. He straightened his back. "He made you sound like you were gifted. If that much is true, this shouldn't be too hard. Just focus on a marble and _will it_ to move." He raised his arm to gesture toward the pile. "Go for it."

Amiri assessed the boy before her and the colorful grouping of marbles that had suddenly become so daunting. She could do this. It wasn't too bad, just a marble, right? If she knew one thing for sure, it was that she refused to fail after deciding to keep this guy as a teacher.

She raised a hand uncertainly to a large blue marble in front of her. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine it moving. _You will rise now. You will rise now. You will, uh, fly up._

She peeked through her lashes to see that nothing had changed. The boy looked bored. _Come on! Please!_ When one method doesn't work, try another, she always says. Instead of imagining the marble moving, she cleared her mind and just let herself _feel._ Her heartbeat, her breathing, the faint sound of the wind outside, everything. She was empty, yet focused.

It was then that she felt something different. She could remember this feeling. She had felt it a few times before when she was home. Like she had suddenly discovered a new sense that was more intense than the five she had before. She could see where all the marbles were in front of her without opening her eyes. She just knew. This was it. She focused on that one marble in her mind's eye.

 _Rise._

A sharp whistle right in front of her cause her to snap her eyes open, a loud thunk directing her gaze upward.

There was a blue marble wedged into the ceiling stone now.

Amiri opened her mouth in shock and turned her head back down to see the boy gazing up, nodding in approval with raised eyebrows.

"I'm impressed. A little excessive, but it works. You seem to struggle in connecting, but once you do, you have a lot of influence." He looked back down. "Just try not to punch holes in our temple anymore. Try again."

And she did. She tried and she tried to replicate that distinctive feeling, but she had no such luck. Nothing would come. The marbles would tremble every so often, nothing more. She thought the boy would get frustrated over the whole ordeal, but he was surprisingly calm, giving her pointers and explaining different meditative techniques. There may have been an agitated eyebrow twitch or deep breath or two, but nothing big. They kept at it for nearly an hour before the boy suddenly collected all of his marbles and stood up on his feet.

"That will be all for today. It might not seem like it, but attempting to connect to the Force consistently can be draining. Go . . . do whatever it is little kids do." He turned to make his way out of the training hall.

Amiri couldn't believe she had done it! Maybe only once, but it had worked! All in a single lesson too. Maybe this guy wasn't so bad after all.

 _He seems a little grumpy, but maybe I could be his friend. Lessons would be so much more interesting if we were friends._ She pulled herself up when she realized something.

 _I don't even know his name!_ She looked in the direction of the door, but he was already gone.

"Not off to the best of starts," she muttered, heading toward the door.

"A matter of opinion, I'm sure."

Amiri jumped in surprise and spun herself around. Two Padawan, a dark haired girl and an orange haired boy were in the corner of the training hall in a meditative stance. The boy smiled and waved. Her mouth fell open for what must have been the hundredth time that morning. She thought she and the dark haired boy were alone!

"How long have you two been there?!"

ox0XOX0xo

Ben trudged back to the solace of his room, deep in thought.

 _The kid seems to be a lot smarter than your average child, that's for sure. Lecturing me on respect! I'll give her props for that little jab on teaching, though. I'm not one to back down from a challenge._

He outwardly scoffed. Who knew a kid could be that manipulative? She definitely earned a little more respect from him. Ben thought back on Amiri's little Force display as well.

 _She definitely shows some promise, I just have to get her connecting ability down. Then we need to work on dampening the power output so she has more control and-_

 _What the hell am I thinking!_

Ben stopped outside his door. Was he seriously just thinking out a _lesson plan?_ Great, just great! He pushed his door open and slammed it behind him. He didn't sense anyone in the immediate area, so where was the harm in making any noise?

He sat on his bed (seeing as his chair was still a pile of firewood) and put his head in his hands. He should not be getting into teaching some little girl! He should be working on his swordsmanship, increasing his endurance in Force use, getting _stronger._ Without strength, he would never be able to do anything outside this rock! He would become meaningless, fading into the shadows of history while legends like his grandfather lived for generations!

He had read the tales of Anakin Skywalker. He knew the prophecies of The Chosen One, The Balancer. Ben took great pride in the titles of his grandfather, but he couldn't shake the whispers in the back of his head.

 _Why can't you be respected, like Anakin?_

 _Why are you not strong, like Anakin?_

 _Why can't you fight like him? Lead like him? Be like him?_

 _Why? Why?! Why?!_

The loose objects in his room where beginning to vibrate again. Ben huffed and dragged his face up from his hands, letting his chin rest on his thumbs while his fingers were clasped together. If there was one thing uncle was right about, it's that frustration really could be pointless as times. Here he was working himself up only to have to calm down for control.

He was deepening his breathing, reciting mantras in his head when his eyes caught a rattling object on his desk that was not there before.

Confused, thinking he was misseeing something, he lifted his head up completely to get a better look. Sure enough, there was small hologram disc sitting there, meant for communication over long distances.

Suspicion narrowed Ben's eyes as he pushed off the bed. Caution guided his movements as he approached the desk. Avkir was supposed to be protected by a series of perimeter alarms and detection units. Nothing was able to get to or from the planet without his uncle and the New Republic knowing about it. Perhaps a fellow Padawan left it here for him?

He doubted it.

Not wanting to risk contact, Ben used the Force to levitate the disc in front of him. It looked normal enough. Having it pass his inspection, he let it gently settle into his palm.

Upon contact with his hand, the hologram disk sparked to life. Ben didn't panic or flail. He knew it couldn't hurt him. Now he only cared about finding out where it was from.

The blue light of the hologram took shape, appearing as a very disturbing looking old man.

 _"Are you the one known as Ben Solo?"_ The figure rasped.

"That depends on who's asking," Ben held the disc to eye level, glaring at the miniature man. "Here's an even better question; how did this disk get in my room?" The man laughed, a skin crawling thing that sounded closer to talons on metal than vibrations from a human throat.

 _"Your defiant attitude is commendable. I admire that in the youthful. To answer your question, one can do many things with the right amount of power and influence."_

Ben couldn't help but find his curiosity ensnared. "Who are you? I would speak up if I were you, or this disc is going to end up in my scrap bin."

 _"I go by several names, Ben Solo, but many know me simply as Supreme Leader Snoke."_

Ben shook his head. "I am unfamiliar with that name."

 _"You should be. I am not trying to expose myself and the First Order quite yet."_

That caught Ben's attention. "The First Order? The rumored remnants of the old empire? I thought that was a myth to scare the ignorant into listening to the New Republic."

 _"Nay, child, I am as real as you. The Order exists, hidden in uncharted galaxies, and I will lead it into glory. Surely you must have felt my influence? I sense great power in you."_

He didn't follow until he remembered his earlier conversation with his uncle.

 _Dark things are brewing beyond this planet . . ._

"You're a Force user. A powerful one." Ben murmured. Leader Snoke nodded his scarred head once.

 _"And I come to you with an offer, Ben Solo. For years I have sensed your power fluctuate and grow, yet its full potential is nowhere near reached. You are being held back from your true destiny. I am willing to release you of these binds and make you the strongest warrior in the galaxy. Allow me to be your new master and teach you things you couldn't even dream of!"_

His head was swimming, thoughts bubbling through in an unreadable flurry. An all-powerful warrior? He could be as great as Anakin.

And yet, Ben could feel himself recoil. This Snoke was of the dark. He practiced all of the hate, fear and rage that Ben was taught to contain. It was _wrong._

 _Right?_

Ben could feel himself losing some of his composure as he reeled from the shock of it all.

"Your offer is, uh, very flattering, but I think I'm going to decline." He expected Snoke to rage and argue, convince him otherwise, sway him with more words.

The man only smiled.

 _"I see. I still sense confliction in you. Keep this disc. There are some questions your Jedi Master may not wish to answer. I will. Keep that in mind, Ben Solo."_ The connection cut off.

If anyone walked into Ben's room at that moment, they would see the teenager standing in its middle staring at a piece of metal in his hand, looking more lost than he had ever been in his life.

ox0XOX0xo

The rest of the day was a bit of a blur. Lunch was eaten, the Code was studied, and saber practice went on a little more vigorously than usual.

In terms of Ben, that meant he got whacked worse than normal.

After it ended, he looked for solitude, not in his room, but on a rocky hill not far from the temple. He always found that it was peaceful, and peace was desperately sought for today. He wanted to clear away a certain raspy voice from his head.

"Ow!" He hissed through clenched teeth as he settled down on a stool sized rock, already feeling the bruises forming on his legs and left arm.

 _Blast that Jaden!_ He cursed under his breath as the pain dulled to an ache. That infuriating blonde just had to be good with a blade, didn't he? A few snide remarks here and bad puns there, and before you know it, you're flat on your ass with a staff at your throat.

Ben knew he wasn't very skilled with a 'saber' compared to his peers, but he didn't expect to be battered so badly. He blamed it on being distracted by recent events.

He pushed it all from his mind. He was here for some peace, not more madness and confusion. He laid his head back on the boulder behind him and watched the sun drift lower over the temple. It would have been exquisite if Ben didn't sense the two people he did not want to talk to coming up the hill. He groaned. "You've got to be kidding me."

Coming up the path was none other than the short haired blonde himself, accompanied by the large lug known as Rashto.

The blonde known as Jaden waved. "Hey, Ben!"

 _Force, spare me._

A few seconds later and the two were in front of him, blocking Ben's view, much to his agitation. Jaden had that foolish grin plastered on his face again, the kind that made most people want to get to know him and hear his jokes. It annoyed the Force out of Ben.

"Hey man, I just thought I'd come by and apologize for hitting you so hard. I swear I didn't mean too, but you kept missing the stuff you usually catch. Is something bugging you?"

 _Yes, you._

"I've had a few things on my mind lately," Ben kept his face stoic. He always did when in front of his peers. Jaden laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah, I kind of figured. How did training the newb go?"

"I believe she shows promise in Force control. She managed to lodge one of my marbles into the ceiling." Jaden suddenly looked very worried.

"You didn't lose any more, did you? I'd hate to see you go crazy," that stupid grin grew back even bigger. Ben resisted the urge to smack his hand into his face. Then the urge to smack his hand into Jaden's face. _Stupid, foolish, ignorant waste of breath and time-_

Rashto thought it was hilarious. The orange Togruta, despite his dangerous looking tribal appearance, was actually quite jolly. He could always be found near Jaden taking advantage of the source of silly humor. "I see," his deep voice bellowed, "losing marbles, as in losing sanity! And Ben was using marbles! Ha ha!"

"Well, I guess kids are known to make anyone go wacko. Makes sense that she'd be the one to lose his, eh!" Jaden nudged Rashto with his elbow and the alien laughed harder.

Idiots, the both of them! Ben was at the end of his fuse. His brain had been under too much stress these past two days. His eyes narrowed into slits.

"I'll have you know that the child carries more wit and charm than the two of you _combined,"_ he stated acerbically. "Now, unless you'd like me to explain to Master Skywalker how you two have been swindling extra rations from the dining area, I suggest you _leave me alone."_

That wiped the grins off their faces. Rashto spoke up.

"H-how do you know that?!" Ben maintained his glare.

"You forget who you're talking to."

Jaden got the hint first. He patted Rashto on the shoulder, turning them both back down the path. Ben could hear their hushed conversation as they walked away.

"Man, I completely forgot he could do that."

"I suppose that is what we get for trying to mold conversation."

". . . Make, Rashto. The saying is 'make conversation'."

Once the duo were out of earshot, Ben relaxed again. "Thank the Force." Finally, some peace.

Ben pulled out his bag of marbles from his belt. With an ease that rivaled breathing, the marbles rose into the air in front of him. Then they began to move, circling around one another in wide arcs, like the orbital paths of planets. They flickered and seemed to glow whenever they caught the light.

Ben found this was his own form of specialized meditation. He could lean back and rest while keeping the back of his mind occupied with something simple.

The sun was now behind the temple, painting the sky a vibrant orange with streaks of crimson.

He heard a sharp gasp. "Wow, you really can do that!" Ben jumped in surprise, breaking focus and dropping the glass beads. They rolled in the dirt as Ben swiveled to see none other than the new kid herself.

"What in the name of the Force are you doing up here?!"

"I was trying to find you!" Ben saw that she was smiling, as usual, her eyes wide with childish glee. He could not remember a time when someone looked so happy in finding him.

"Well, you have. Now what do you want, I'm in the middle of something," she leaned to one side to look at the marbles rolling at his feet.

"So you were," she straightened back up. The smile twisted into a small frown, her eyes narrowing with some sort of determination. It looked rather silly on her youthful face. "Well, first off, I wanted to tell you that it's not nice to blackmail people." Ben rolled his eyes. _Great, another lecture by a six year old._

"I passed those two guys on the path and they were talking about you telling on them to Master Skywalker. People aren't going to want to be friends with you if you keep shoving them away."

"What if I don't want any friends?" Her eyebrows went up.

"Everybody wants friends! Being all alone-"she shook her head. When she looked back up, the smile was back.

"That's the other reason I wanted to find you. I wanted to thank you for training me," she held up her hand. "And I was hoping we could be friends. Training together will be easier if we get to know each other."

Ben's eyes flickered from her wide caramel eyes to her outstretched hand.

 _She wants to be friends with me?_

Ben would admit that he was surprised. He knew he didn't appear very- _approachable_. Then again, this kid was different.

He wouldn't say she was almost _endearing_ or anything, just different.

He could feel a faint wavering in the Force as he looked at her small outstretched hand. It pressed against his head and he realized that a part of him really _wanted_ to take it.

Befriending a brat? Please. He tried to remember how frustrated he was when he heard of her coming arrival and how it had changed things against his wishes.

And yet . . .

His own pale hand dwarfed her small tan one as he took it and shook it. She beamed.

"I'm Amiri Glaven," she reintroduced herself. "But because we're friends now, you can call me Ree."

"Ree?"

"Yeah, it's a nickname! Friends use nicknames to show that they're friends!"

"I know what a nickname is."

"So what's yours?"

"My what?"

"Your name, silly! You never told me your name!"

". . . Ben Solo."

"Well, it's nice to meet you Benny!"

"Don't call me that!"

"Why not? We're friends!" Ree pouted and widened her eyes. By the Force, was she making him feel guilty?! He sighed.

"Fine. Only you." She seemed genuinely happy. She looked down at the pile of marbles.

"So Benny . . . do you think you could do that again?"

"Of course." The marbles smoothly rose up and restarted their elaborate dance. Ree giggled, bright eyes gazing in amazement. Ben could hear quiet mutterings of praise like 'so cool!' and 'amazing!'

Ben didn't really notice that a smile was tugging at the corner of his own lips as he looked at the gleeful girl.

No one could detect the faint flash of light that shot through the Force.


	4. Chapter 3: In Plain Sight

**Annnnnnnnd We're Back!**

 ** _Holy cow, over a hundred followers!_** **Over a hundred people actually care about what happens next!**

 ***Screams***

 **You guys are awesome! I'm going to go ahead and let you guys know that I have this whole flashback arc mapped out. It was supposed to be only six chapters, but I keep writing so much that the chapters are being cut in two. It'll probably be around eight or so chapters, then present day drama will be reintroduced. I was originally going to alternate between flashback and present day each chapter, but it got too complicated.**

 **This chapter is a little slow, more introductory than anything, but please bare with me. Chapters will get cute and then they will get violent. Review please! Even the shortest of messages are appreciated!**

 **Disclaimer: OCs are mine, Avkir is mine, but the things Val explains are from the creators of Star Wars and the Clone Wars show.**

* * *

They stayed that way on the hill until it was too dark to see the marbles anymore, so enchanted Ree was and relaxed Ben felt. He honestly couldn't remember a time where he was this serene in someone else's presence. He always felt too wary of his peers and too focused on improving. Yet somehow, here he was.

He wanted to chalk it up to her inflating his ego by being so amazed with his Force skills. Really, how else could he possibly be tolerating the little squirt for so long? He packed away his marbles, Ree waiting beside him and rolling on the balls of her little feet again.

"Do you do this often? How do you make it look so easy?" she inquired, looking into Ben's face.

"Yes, I find it very calming. I practice often and am naturally gifted." Ben stood up and began to follow the path down, Ree trailing behind at his legs.

"Don't talk like that!" Ben glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

"Like what?"

Ree giggled. "Like you're a droid! You don't have to be so direct. Why not smile a little, get excited and explain how thrilling it is." Ree through her own arms up in the air, as if illustrating what excitement was supposed to be like. Her enthusiasm did not faze Ben's stoic face.

"That would be a reaction more befitting a child. If you want to know how it feels, ask that and I will answer." Ree realized she was falling behind and sprinted for a moment to catch up to Ben's longer strides. She trotted up beside him.

"It's not childish! There's nothing wrong with being happy. I saw you smile earlier," she trotted again as Ben refused to lower his speed. "You know it's nice!"

"You were seeing things," Ben kept his gaze toward the temple. He refused to admit that he almost enjoyed the girls company. The thought was ridiculous.

"I know what I saw," she muttered, "even if you refuse to see." There was a moment of silence as the abnormal duo focused on keeping their footing on the sloping stone path. Both were wrapped in their own thoughts, dissecting each other's words. Ree's soft voice was the first to break the silence.

"Can I . . . join you when you come up here again? I really like it," her head was downturned, her fingers fiddling with the bottom of her tunic as she spoke. It was almost like she was bracing herself for him to say no.

His knee jerk reaction was to say just that. This was supposed to be time for himself, to keep himself distant and focused. Yet he couldn't help but think about how much quicker teaching Ree could be if she spent extra time with him and practiced. The sooner she improved, the sooner she'd be gone. The sooner she'd be gone, the quicker Ben could get back to training himself.

He sighed.

"If you use it as a learning experience for your training, I have no problem with it." Ree's face lit up with joy.

"Thank you, Benny! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Ree sprinted forward, taking Ben's hand in her own and tugging it after her as she ran ahead. Ben grunted in surprise as he suddenly found himself being yanked forward. "Come on, we're late for dinner! I want to get to know everyone else too!"

Ben wondered when the Force had decided to imbue him with so much patience as he let the small child pull him along all the way down to the temple.

ox0XOX0xo

Saying Ben was thankful no one was outside would be an understatement to the extreme. He wasn't sure he'd be able to earn back any of his dignity if any of the Padawans saw him holding little Ree's hand, trailing behind her excited form like a pet. Especially Jaden.

He continued to let Ree cling to him until they stood in front of the main doors. He pulled himself away from her there. Ree didn't seem to mind. She could tell that Ben wasn't open to the idea of the others knowing he was now her friend. She would just have to help him open up.

Ben took the lead through the doors into the main hall, leading Ree to one of the doors on the left. He opened it to reveal a small dining hall and kitchen area. The long table held the six other Padawans, Master Skywalker at the head of the table. Everyone turned to look at the late arrivals. Luke smiled.

"Hello Amiri! Come, take a seat, tell us how your training is going," Ree grinned and moved forward, but stopped when she noticed a certain shadow of a boy was moving away.

"Ben, come on, let's eat!" Ben hesitated in the door, his eyes flickering between the table of people and the bright eyed girl. He seemed to be debating something internally. A side won, and Ben followed Ree into the room. They each took a seat across from the other at the end of the table. Ree turned to look up the table only to see seven pairs of wide eyes staring at her and Ben.

". . . What?"

Did she do something wrong? Luke seemed to shake himself out of whatever trance they were all in first.

"Oh, it's nothing, please forgive us. Ben, it is nice of you to join us." Ben nodded with a grunt in response, turning his head away from everyone else.

"Well, now that we are all here, let us eat." Luke rose from his chair and began filling bowls with some sort of stew from a large pot on his side of the table. The bowls were passed around and dinner was eaten. The other Padawans took the time to introduce themselves. The girl next to Amiri was especially lively.

"I'm Valerie Faring, but you can call me Val," she said with a large smile. "It's nice to have such a little cutie pie at the temple! It makes things look a little happier around here!" Ree noted that the girl looked rather young herself, maybe only around thirteen or fourteen. Her round face was framed by bright orange curly hair, just ghosting over the tips of her shoulders. A thin braid of hair hung down by her left ear. Green eyes glowed with mischievous glee. Val gestured to the boy across from her. "That quiet carrot over there is my brother, Vin. Don't be offended if he doesn't say much. He means well."

Ree recognized the boy as the one who was meditating in the training room while she was messing with marbles. He definitely had the same curling orange hair as Val.

Vin held his hand over the table. Ree shook it as he spoke. "Vincent Faring, it's a pleasure to meet you." His voice really was quite gentle. She didn't have a chance to really talk to him or the other girl in the training room as she had run off to find Ben and ask for his name. He seemed polite enough.

"Nice to meet you," Ree replied. Everyone else seemed to be eager to introduce themselves after that. The dark haired girl next to Vin inclined her head in a small bow.

"I am Tierra Lingan. If you ever require aid in meditation, Vin and I are welcome to help you," she stated serenely. Ree was awed by beautiful she was. She had never seen a human with such pretty angled eyes and shining straight hair. She almost wanted to ask Tierra to undo the hairclip that held the glossy curtain up at the back of her head.

"Thank you-"

"And I am Rashto Bym!" The male alien with the tail-horns piped up from the end of Ree's side of the table, right next to Luke. Ree's awe shifted to fascination now that she could see just how colorful the features of the inhuman were. "I am not as skilled as Ben Solo, but I am well versed in the uses of the Force. You may ask me for assistance if Solo is indiscosed at the moment."

"It's 'indisposed', Rashto," the blonde next to the alien corrected. He leaned in on the table to see past Val and gave Ree a white flashy smile. "Hey kiddo, I'm Jaden Sarkos. Saber wielding extraordinaire."

Heekra, from across the table, scoffed. Jaden looked to her with a grin. "What, you think you can do better, tail-head?"

"You know I can, pretty boy. I've landed you on your butt nine time out of ten," Heekra had a smirk on her own face. Jaden stared her down.

"Those numbers seem awfully skewed, hot shot. Are you sure you're not counting those times I got several good whacks in? I guess it's hard to tell how bad you're hit with your ruby skin."

"You wish, prima-donna!"

"It's on, dancing queen!"

"Oh ho ho, _now_ you're getting it, you sorry ape!"

Rashto and Tierra tried to calm the two, but the insults only increased in intensity.

Ree was watching the heated banter between the two escalate before Luke intervened and quieted them both with a look. She then felt a soft nudge on her shoulder. Val was trying to get her attention. The red head leaned down, whispering into Ree's ear.

"So how'd ya do it?" she murmured.

"Huh? Do what?" The smaller girl didn't follow.

"You know! Get Solo to eat with us!" Now Ree was really confused.

"Ben doesn't eat?"

"Not with us!" Val's eyes glanced to see that Ben was focused on eating his own stew, tuning out the chaos at the other end of the table.

"He usually takes dinner into his room against the Master's wishes. It's been years since I remember him staying at the table."

Ree was surprised, but at the same time she wasn't. Ben was definitely more of a loner. _Not anymore,_ Ree thought. _Time to break that shell open._

"Hey Ben," Ree called. Ben looked up for the first time that night. "Could you walk me to dinner after practice every night?" His eyebrows furrowed, but no other sign of agitation appeared.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt."

"Great, thank you!" _Now I can try to encourage him to join us at the table every night,_ she plotted. Then she turned to Vin. "Vin, right? You and Tierra were there when Ben was training me. You said it was a matter of opinion when I said I was off to a bad start. What did you mean?" She had run out of the training room after Ben before she could really ask Vin. If her hunch was right, she might just make Ben a new friend. Hopefully Vin was as level headed as he looked.

Vin appeared surprised. "Well, I was referring to Ben's patience more than your own actions."

"Really now?" Ben looked at the red head next to him. He seemed defensive.

 _Please, please, please . . ._

"Yes. Despite Amiri's struggles and lack of control, you maintained a professional attitude and guided her through it. I don't think I've ever seen you display such patience with others. I was impressed."

Ben's expression remained firm. "I do whatever is necessary to get things done. This situation required patience, so I maintained patience." Vin nodded.

 _Pleeeeeeease . . ._

"May I recommend something then?" Ree batted down a squeal of glee. They both took the bait! Vin continued when Ben nodded. "You probably noticed better than I that Amiri needs to work on connection first. Would you believe it useful for her to join me and Tierra for deep meditation before going to you?"

Ben pondered. "It would help her mind learn the exact feelings she is meant to channel to access the Force. I suppose it would be beneficial in speeding this whole process along. How about this . . ."

Ben and Vin continued their conversation. It was business-like and professional, but Ree got Ben to _talk._ She looked to her left to see that Val's mouth was smiling as it hung open.

"Amiri, I think you may change things around here."

The little girl smiled.

"You're my friend now. You can call me Ree."

ox0XOX0xo

Ree learned more about her fellow Padawans within the next five months.

Heekra and Jaden had a notable rivalry over nearly everything, especially saber practice. Both of them would practically run over each other to be Ree's saber teacher during the spare time she decided she wanted to focus on lightsaber skills. She would be lying if she said their silly insults weren't humorous, especially when they started swinging their saber sticks at _each other_ instead of training her.

Tierra and Vin, as Vin had discussed that one fateful dinner, would let her meditate with them before going to Ben. Both of them seemed to be very calm and level headed people, Tierra even more so than Vin. Ree wondered if Vin had another reason for meditating with Tierra so often when she continuously caught him sneaking glances to the oriental girl. He turned pink when she asked him about it and stammered uncharacteristically, telling her he didn't know what she was talking about.

Val, surprisingly to Ree, prided herself on her memory of the Jedi Code. Master Skywalker once explained to Ree that Val would dedicate most of her free time to analyzing the documents of the record room, learning all she could about Jedi and the galaxy's history. Ree had initially pegged her to be more of an energetic daredevil, like a saber expert. She was kind of glad she was wrong, the things Val taught her were intriguing. "You're curious about the braids, right?" She once asked Ree. "It's an old Jedi tradition. We braid a certain strand of hair continuously throughout our lives as a Padawan and cut it off once we become knights! Isn't it neat?" Val took it upon herself at that very moment to braid a strand of Ree's hair by her right ear. The girls giggled and laughed the whole time.

Ree probably knew Rashto the least. He didn't really have much of a chance to teach her anything with Ben being a so much better Force user. But he was really nice, passing on some of Jaden's jokes to her over lunch and explaining his race and home world. Ree was fascinated by alien things, and Rashto's battle stories of the war-like Togruta were thrilling. After these stories though, Rashto would preach about the value of peace. Ree found it rather contradictory, but it was comforting to know how peaceful and boisterous her alien friend really was despite his origins.

Ben's change was subtle, but greatly appreciated. He would talk to the others during training and dinner now that Ree got him to join every night. Given, conversation was mainly over the training itself, but that was more than he spoke before. He seemed to prefer Vin's company due to his non-boisterous personality. Ree assumed Ben didn't find it as annoying. She would see them sometimes discussing intricacies of Force use she couldn't possibly understand.

Ben's mood seemed to especially improve when Master Skywalker finally agreed to take students off world for small missions. Every few weeks, one of the Padawans would join Luke to settle small disputes or advise budding politicians on less advanced worlds. Ben didn't glare as much when he returned from one.

The Padawans all just seemed to be able to breathe easier when he was around now.

With Ree, the change was larger. Ben seemed less tense, more relaxed. She would even catch him smile a few times when she said something silly or messed up in a humorous way. During their time on the stone hill, he would have Ree spin the marbles with him as part of her training. She was proud to say that she could smoothly orbit up to three marbles without help if she concentrated hard enough. They would tease each other and he would answer all of the silly questions her observational mind conducted.

Ree liked to think they were becoming close friends.

Ben himself could no longer lie to himself as the months went on. He enjoyed the company of the bright-eyed girl. Her innocence and kindness had touched him and things seemed to keep going up since she arrived.

 _She's the only one who didn't t shy away,_ Ben would realize. _The only one_ _who genuinely wanted to talk to you._

Ben knew his fellows were wary of him. They knew of his powers and his drive for strength. It wasn't personal, but he just never felt a necessity for creating bonds. They were a distraction. He would never grow stronger if he was distracted. He realized this when he was nine and cut off the few tenuous relationships he did have. The few times the Padawans would approach, thinking to make peace with him to ease their fear, they would turn and run with their tails between their legs. They would not stand against him, not when he could peer into their mind and see their every fear and weakness. So they learned to keep their distance over time.

And yet, there she was. A girl who wormed her way in and pulled him from his self-isolation. A girl who would rise against him when she thought he was doing or saying something wrong. She would refuse to back down. She did not fear him. Against all odds, she had become his friend. He wouldn't extend the title to the others, oh no. They weren't even close to receiving that honor from him.

But Ree was, and she was right. It was kind of nice to have a friend.

ox0XOX0xo

Ben was leaving his room for morning meditation when he caught sight of Ree watering some potted plants lining the hall. _Looks like uncle is circulating the chores again._

His boots clicked against the stone as he made his way to her. She turned her head up and smiled before returning to the plant.

"Good morning, Benny!"

"Good morning, Ree," he glanced at the jug of viscous red liquid Ree was using to water the alien purple flowers. "Are you almost done with your chores? Meditation starts in five minutes."

"Yep, just one second . . . and . . . done!" She set the watering jug down and stood up with her hands and her immature hips, a look of accomplishment on her face. "Let's go."

For a while, everything was as usual. They walked together to the training hall and took their seats on the back mats. Ree, Heekra and Val conversed while Tierra listened. Vin and Ben exchanged quiet words. Rashto and Jaden snickered to some inaudible joke.

Despite the outward socializing, everyone was silently thinking the same thing: Where was Master Skywalker? He'd never been late before.

It was known that in the time he wasn't spent training the students or watching over their self-studies, he would go off to meditate in the hills. He usually left after dinner, but he would always be in by morning.

"Do you think someone should go check it out?" Ree asked.

"No, Master Skywalker is stronger than all of us. He's fine," Heekra said. "He'll come in due time." Ree had noticed that Heekra always sounded incredibly loyal and defensive when it came to Master Skywalker. She'd never asked her about it.

The dull murmur from the Padawan's chatter cut off when the door swung open. Master Skywalker strode in, his robe swaying around him, an unidentifiable expression settling on his features. He took his place in front of them all, but did not kneel down to take his meditative stance. All of the Padawans sat up with rapt attention. Something was definitely different today.

"My students," Luke began, "the time has come for you all to take a major step in your journey of becoming Jedi Knights." Everyone leaned forward with expectation. A major step? What had happened?

"During my time in reviewing the old documents several days ago, I stumbled upon one that provided an interesting piece of information. The base that we have turned into our home was more than just a place of rest and record keeping," he moved his gaze over each student. "It appears that under the crust of Avkir, the Jedi of old discovered a small cave system . . ." the silence in the room was deafening.

". . . Of Kyber crystals." Several intakes of breath filled the silence.

Thanks to the Jedi Code lessons, Ree understood the importance of these 'Kyber crystals'. Val had helped straighten out the parts Ree didn't understand during one past lesson a month or two ago.

"Kyber crystals are the main power source of lightsabers due to their high Force sensitivity," she had explained. "The Jedi used to take Jedi Younglings to an ice planet called Ilum to participate in a trial. It's said that the trial helped each youngling find the crystal that matched their Force signature so they could attune to the Force better when it was turned into a saber. If they passed, they got the crystal and were officially made Padawans."

Val had suddenly looked crestfallen as she kept explaining. Ree had never seen her frown before then. "Master Skywalker tried to take us to Ilum when we were all still little, but old Empire supporters drove us off with blaster fire from ships in the planet's orbit. Every time the New Republic tried to drive them off, more would appear. They must take shelter somewhere out in that system since it's at the far end of the galaxy. The Republic couldn't offer more support with their own power still being so frail, so Master was forced to continue our training without them." Val had then cheered up again and went on explaining Jedi victories in spreading peace.

 _But this changes things,_ Ree thought with wide eyes. _Is Master Skywalker really implying . . ?_

"How did this get by you, Master? Why didn't we sense anything?" Ben spoke out. Rey peered at him from the corner of her eyes. She wasn't surprised to see that the hands resting on his crossed legs where in tight fists. _I guess all of them are probably upset to have something so vital hidden under their noses for so long._ She herself couldn't truly be upset as she hadn't spent her whole life waiting for this moment.

Luke closed his eyes and lowered his head. "I am truly sorry to have missed this. After I discovered the document, I traveled to one of the sites the document described. Through the Force, I opened an entrance into the cave system and prepared it the best I could over the past few days. I can only assume that the small nature of the system and its depth in the earth smothered its Force signature so that it blended in with the other wildlife on this planet. Without prior knowledge, there was no way to truly distinguish it. We have been brushing off the signature as nothing more than native grass this whole time." He opened his eyes and raised his head, his face set with what appeared to be hope.

"But what is done is done. And we are now given an opportunity. I feel in the Force that it is time to embrace it. I ask you all now, do you think you are ready to do so?"

Excitement once more defeated disappointment.

"Yes, Master Skywalker!" their voices rang out. Luke looked overjoyed. In a suppressed, controlled Jedi Master way, of course.

"Then rise, my Padawans. I will guide you to your next trial."

They followed him out of the temple and into the hills, chatting quietly the whole way. Ree stayed next to Ben. She could sense that he was still upset by the discovery coming so late. But she could also feel from him a growing eagerness.

It made Ree happy to know Ben was so excited. He needed to work on being happy more.

A near half hour walk later through the stone piled hills and soft green slopes, the group stopped before a tall mound of grass covered earth. It towered above Luke's head. Ree knew she wouldn't have thought much of it if it wasn't for the gaping hole that slit up the entirety of one of its sides. The slit-like hole revealed that the mound was actually made of grass covered stone. A faint breeze drifted from its depths and chilled the Padawans faces with its cool touch. The hole appeared to shoot straight down to the center of the planet. Ree took Ben's hand.

 _They had to go down there?!_

Master Skywalker walked next to the hole and faced them with the calm countenance of a true Master. "You are about to participate in the trial you all have read about known as The Gathering. It will not be as it was in the old times, as we are not on Ilum, but I believe you will find it eye-opening all the same. Each of you will find yourselves encountering a test. You have until noon to solve them and find your crystal. Good luck, and may the Force be with you all."

The Padawans bowed once more and filed in toward the gaping maw. Ree felt her grip tighten in Ben's hand as they both stepped closer.

"You know that we're more than likely going to have to separate, right?" she heard Ben say. She looked up at him with a downturned expression.

"I know, I'm just nervous."

Ben gave her one of his rare small smiles.

"There's nothing to be nervous about. Nothing can hurt you down there. We're all down there with you. More importantly, I'm down there with you. You're as safe as you could be." Her expression raised with her spirits.

"Thanks Benny," she whispered. "Good luck." He shook his head, determination etched in his features.

"Luck is for those who let their fate go as it may. I intend to control my own fate, as should you. We _will_ do well." She rolled her eyes and smiled. Ben watched her go ahead of him down the cavern, suddenly becoming swallowed by the darkness. He paused at the entrance, his face relaxing as he heard her now confident footfalls.

"But good luck to you too, Ree."


	5. Chapter 4: In the Back of Your Mind

**Another chapter! Woohoo! Thank you for the kind reviews! They gave me the power to roll this one out.**

 **I actually looked at that hit-counting thing that tells you how many people are reading and HOLY COW OVER 1,000 PEOPLE LOOKED AT THE PROLOGUE! AND OVER 700 FOR CHAPTER 1! ^-^ you guys make me feel honored. Hate it, like it, love it, Review!**

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The darkness was all encompassing. Ree could not see her hands in front of her face even if they were almost touching her nose.

From what she could sense and feel, however, Ree quickly realized that she was descending on a crudely made set of stairs. _Well, Master Skywalker did say he prepared it for us. Maybe he was working on this?_

It grew colder the farther she went. The rock making up the walls around her became moist with condensation. She let her hands slide along said walls for guidance, trying not to cringe when she hit a particularly cold and slick part of rock.

She could hear the soft footfalls of the others in front of her and Ben's own footsteps right behind her. Everyone remained silent, like they were entering a hallowed space worthy of respect. Ree supposed that it was to the others. This system, if truly yielding Kyber crystals, will have saved them all from lives as incomplete Padawans. The caves may as well be blessed by the Force.

 _Maybe they are,_ she thought, _if Kyber crystals really are of the Force._

A soft light drew Ree from her thoughts. It was coming from farther down the cobbled stairs. A few extra minutes of descending later and the narrow stone hall opened up. Ree took the final step and scanned her new environment.

The other Padawans were waiting in the center of what looked to be a large underground cave, illuminated by large glowing yellow crystals embedded in the stone walls. They were similar to those in the temple, but less refined, leading Ree to believe that this was where they were mined.

Once she moved her gaze from the crystals, Ree found herself admiring the otherworldly beauty of the cave. From above her head she could see spires of large stalactites, as long as Ben was tall, reaching down toward them all. The yellow light revealed to her that the grey rock had slowly taken a bluish hue as they had moved farther down.

Ree wondered if standing down here was similar to swimming beneath oceans and seas she had read about back home. She had always imagined them to be a blue similar to what this cave was.

She could hear water trickling and caught sight of a large pool of it against the wall on the other side of the stone steps. She was barely able to refrain her need to run over and inspect it for life when Ben emerged from the hall.

"Sweet, the whole gang's together now," Jaden said, putting his arms up behind his head in a nonchalant manner.

"Now what? I must admit, I cannot remember much concerning this trial," Rashto remarked, looking to the others in confusion. Val, of course, was the one to explain.

"Well, most of the documents avoided explaining the details of the trial so Jedi younglings wouldn't know what to expect," she said, getting most everyone's attention. "But from what I've pieced together, the younglings had to use their connection to the Force to find their crystal and then had to persevere over an obstacle that kept them from it."

"That sounds almost too easy. We're not younglings," Vin softly countered. Val shrugged.

"What can I say? No one's ever tried The Gathering this late in their training. I have no idea what's different."

"Whelp, I guess we should just use the Force and get a feel for the place, right?" Jaden lowered his arms and glanced around the edges of the cave. "There seem to be more than enough tunnels. It shouldn't be too hard to pick something up."

Tunnels? Ree looked around again. Sure enough, there were several door-like holes on different sides of the caves. She must have missed them in the dim light.

"So the shiny, glow-y crystals aren't Kyber crystals?"

Val giggled.

"Oh no, Ree. Those are just Starstones. Kyber crystals are really tiny and colorless. You'll know once you sense yours."

"We should start now. We don't have as much time as we think," Heekra intervened. She closed her eyes. Ree understood and closed her own, assuming that everyone was doing the same.

She emptied her mind and let the Force flow in the way she had learned through months of meditation and work with Ben. She could see the strands of life and light that entwined around them all, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Except, something did seem different. Not in light, but in feeling. Like something was tugging at a strand from her chest, nudging her to one side of the cave . . .

"I feel something!" The voice Ree knew to be Rashto's piped up. Ree opened her eyes to see that she had turned herself to face one of the smaller tunnels on the other end of the cave. She spun around to see that everyone was also turning away from a direction that faced certain tunnels. Everyone had felt a call.

"That answers it. We will all split up now and follow our respective paths. We'll regroup on the surface once we find our crystals," Heekra instructed. "May the Force be with you all." Everyone returned the blessing and began to divide.

Ree was still curious about something.

"How could something so close to the Force be so dull?" she muttered.

She didn't quite understand it. Something that precious should be distinguishable, no matter how small or deep in the earth. How did someone as skilled as Master Skywalker miss it for so long?

"If I may answer," Ree noticed that Tierra was right next to her. She immediately gave the girl her attention. From the few times Tierra had spoken over the months, Ree had learned that the girl was far wiser and more observant than one could realize.

"Perhaps it's not that the crystals were too smothered to be sensed, but simply that they did not _wish_ to be sensed." Ree cocked her head.

"But why?"

Tierra gave a small knowing smile.

"The Force was waiting for the right moment."

And with that, the slender teenager glided away to her respective tunnel. Ree watched after her in awe before slowly making her way to her own.

It was dark and small, barely a few inches higher than herself. Almost like it was meant just for her. The thought brought chills up her spine.

. . . _alone . . ._

"Ree?" Ben was there beside her. She quickly pasted on a smile.

"Yeah?"

Ben got down on one knee to get to her level. The other Padawans were already gone.

He could be Benny now.

He put his hands on her shoulders in a comforting gesture. "Remember what I said before. Nothing can hurt you down here. Here," he dropped a small Starstone in her hand. "Now you can see. If you need help, just call out, and I'll come and find you." He was dead serious. Ree's smile relaxed into a more genuine one.

"I know. Thank you, Benny." Ben stayed there for a moment before abruptly standing up, looking away from her and scratching the back of his head.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't go expecting too much. You can't improve if you're pinned by a rock or cowering in a corner. I won't allow a student of mine such shame."

Ree stared.

And then she laughed. A deep, childish, from-the-belly laugh. Ben balked.

"What? You think I'm joking! I'm serious! And you're still going to have to face certain things yourself, you know! That's the only way you can truly get stronger!"

Still laughing, Ree headed into her tunnel.

"Bye *giggle* Benny!"

Ben could still hear her giggles and little snorts as she was disappeared once more in shadows. Ben shook his head at the strange girl and headed toward his own path.

ox0XOX0xo

Seriously, what was so funny? Ben strode through the jagged tunnel. _Silly kid, I don't know what's going through that rattled brain of yours._

He shook the young child from his mind. He was confident Ree could take care of herself. She had a great amount of strength packed into that child-sized form. She wouldn't let a few shadows and sparkly stones get the best of her. He had to focus on his own challenge now.

When everyone was trying to sense their crystal in the Force, Ben felt something strange. He could feel the tug he was certain everyone else felt, but there was something else as well. Something he couldn't quite put into words. The closest analogy he could make to describe it would perhaps be a weight settling in his chest, fluttering against his heart as if deciding between caressing it and squeezing the life out of it. None of his fellows acted like they had felt such a thing.

He hoped that finding his crystal would provide the answers to this mystery.

Ben noticed that the farther he walked, the colder it became. Far colder than the main cave. It reached a point where his breath froze in the air, ghosting over his face as he strode through it. He kept a small Starstone in his hand, the only source of light in the empty pitch. With its glow, he could see that there was copious amounts of mist tangling around his feet.

 _There must be some sort of underground waterfall or spring._ For some reason, that didn't sound right. This was different.

He felt that he had been walking for over an hour. He kept dipping his mind into the Force, but he couldn't pin the direction of the tugging. It was almost like something was in the way, cutting him off and confusing him. Ben stumbled upon several forks in the tunnel and tried to keep track of the turns he made, but it was beginning to lose track as the direction kept changing.

Ben was being disoriented. _This must be my trial,_ Ben pondered. _A test of patience, perhaps._

No matter. Ben would bare through anything to get what he wanted. "Some test this is," he sneered aloud.

 _And yet . . . you are lost in the mist . . ._

Ben spun around, frantically scanning the path behind him. _That wasn't my voice!_ he thought.

There was nothing he could see with the light of the stone. "Who's there?!" he called out. "Show yourself, coward!"

 _Coward? I? Are you aware of who you speak to?_ The voice was faint, whispery, like it was coming from the faint breeze all around him.

"It doesn't matter if you're lowly enough to speak from the shadows!" The air seemed to drop even lower in temperature. Ben grinded his teeth to keep them from chattering as an eerie chuckle filled the air.

 _I see you at least have spirit. You may not be as pitiful as I thought._

"Pitiful?!" Ben spat. "I am a Jedi Padawan! Grandson of the Chosen One, Anakin Skywalker! Nephew to the last great Master, Luke Skywalker!" He spun around, thinking he caught glimpses of movement in the mist. "Pitiful is a word that could never be used with me!"

 _Oh, so Ben Solo has done so much? You've been piggybacking on the success of those before you. You have yet to do anything of true value-_

"Shut up!" Ben spun again. This time he swore he saw something dark move in his light.

 _Why? You know it's true. You always hear about your Uncle and Grandfather. Everyone knows of them and their successes. But you? You're nothing. Already you have fallen behind. Anakin had completed hundreds of missions of great priority by the time he was your age. You don't even have a saber._

 _"Shut up!"_ Ben threw the stone towards a flickering shadow. It hit the wall and fell to the floor, its light dimmed by the fog that covered it.

 _You will never be as strong as your Grandfather as you are now . . . but you could be_.

"What, now you're trying to be helpful?!"

 _Surely you've noticed that when people speak of Anakin's greatness, it is not his years as a Knight they are referring to._

"What are you-"Ben's eyes widened. "No, not that way, you psycho!"

 _But it's true. During his years as Vader, Anakin had accomplished more than ever before. His power reached its peak and he was feared and revered by all. As little as you've been told, you must know that much._

"The Dark twists and corrupts, it's the path of the weak who can't control themselves! I will never stoop myself to such a pathetic level! I will become as strong and revered as Anakin without ever taking a fall!" Ben stopped scanning the room when he heard the voice laugh. The voice had been getting clearer as it spoke and now it sounded sickeningly familiar.

 _A path for the weak? Are you sure? Is it weak to grow to your full potential? Weak to fight, no matter how violently, for what you believe in? You are mistaken, Ben Solo. The weak are those who continue to hold themselves back in fear of causing 'disruption' in the galaxy. Those who bottle their potential to follow a code that was proven pointless over thirty years ago. You know this Ben, you have pondered it before._

"Who . . . who are you?"

 _Why Ben . . ._

Ben heard the voice solidify behind him. In a single Parsec, Ben spun one last time to be nose-to-nose with his antagonizer.

He was right.

The voice was familiar. Because he knew it.

The face was the same. Hair, nose, everything.

Except for a sickening, face splitting grin and eyes that were swallowed by the Dark they had embraced.

 _I'm you._

Ben faintly registered a cracking noise he realized to be his Starstone on the ground as everything plunged into darkness.

ox0XOX0xo

Ree breathed a sigh of relief. She had done it! She had found her Kyber crystal! She bit back a squeal of delight when she glanced at the little gem in her hand. It really was small, barely as big as her slim little thumb, but to her eyes, it was the most glorious thing she'd ever seen.

She couldn't find words to describe just how wonderful it felt when she first touched it. It was like warmth just spilled into her heart and spread throughout her body while some sort of wordless song chimed in her head. Everything felt so much _clearer._

She would have to thank Ben again once she got out. The Starstone he gave her really saved her from panicking. She didn't think she would have gotten through that . . .

"Nope! Not thinking of that now!" she said. Her fist tightened around the crystal, bringing her back to the present.

 _If it weren't for all my friends, this definitely would have been much harder. Especially if Ben didn't make me so happy before I left._

She almost spilled out into giggles again at the thought. _Really Benny, you're so silly! You can never say anything nice without trying to make yourself look tough and careless again._

She sighed.

 _So contradictory and awkward. But I guess that's just how my friend is!_

Ree noticed light ahead of her as she kept walking back through her tunnel. It wasn't long before she found herself in the soft light of the main cave. Following Heekra's advice, she crossed all the way to the stairs and started climbing up.

 _I wonder who else found theirs. Vin and Tierra definitely. They are both so calm and focused. Ben too, for that matter! Heekra probably did as long as Jaden wasn't around to distract her . . ._

Ree continued to think of all the possibilities as she ascended. When she finally reached the light of day, she was nearly blinded. The extended time in dim light had dilated her eyes. She fumbled at the cave entrance when a large hand took hold of her own.

"Congratulations, Amiri. You have passed your trial."

"Th-thank you, Master Skywalker!" Ree rubbed her eyes and squinted enough to see the man smiling at her. She moved her gaze to the small crowd that stood behind him. To her joy, everyone was there!

Wait.

No they weren't.

"Master Skywalker, forgive me for asking, but where's Ben?"

Luke's face fell for a moment. "He hasn't come out yet."

"But Master, it's already almost noon!" She twisted to look at the cave behind her. She began to move toward it, worry painted into her features. "He might be in trouble!"

"No, Amiri," Ree felt him gently tug her hand, refusing to let go. She looked her master in the eyes, wordlessly asking for an explanation.

"Ben will be fine, but this is something he needs to face himself, as you did and the others. Your trial ended when you got back up here." Ree bowed her head. She understood, but she couldn't help but worry. Strong, determined Ben? Taking this long? Ree peered at the cave from the corner of her eyes.

 _Please be safe,_ she prayed.

ox0XOX0xo

Ben had stumbled back the moment the light died and he lost sight of his doppelganger. His eyes flickered wildly, panic winning out over reason as his mind tried to catch up with what his eyes had registered.

 _What the complete frack is going on here?!_ The thought dominated his mind.

That couldn't be him. This couldn't be real. The fake was laughing again.

 _Surprised? Why? Surely you must have at least suspected. No matter. That's not why I'm here._

Ben backed himself against one of the walls as he heard pacing in the space in front of him.

 _You have great rage, Ben. Great passion, maybe even more so than your grandfather. But you waste it! Pushing it into the back of your mind for foolish Jedi teachings! You have felt its power. You can feel it hum under your skin in those moments your rage slips._

True. It was true. The way the Force reacted to him when he was upset. The way everything would automatically yield to hi-

"No!" Ben yelled out. "It doesn't matter what I feel! What matters is what I do! And I will neve-"

 _What, kill your fellow Padawans? Murder in the name of power? What do you care? They're all incompetent or as brainwashed as you used to be when you actually believed everything our precious Uncle said. They are unworthy of greatness!_

"That doesn't mean I should kill them!"

 _But you want to. You've thought of it several times!_

"Shut up! Stop it!" Ben covered his ears, but the words slipped straight into his head.

 _Just do it! Embrace your strength! Once the competition is gone, you don't have to kill if you don't want to. But you will. You will have power to change the galaxy._

The voice moved closer.

 _Destroy those who cause all of the chaos and cruelty of the world. You can create a utopia! A perfect world that you will rule! You will be praised as a hero greater than Anakin ever was._

"A better world . .?" He could be a hero. Going Dark didn't mean he had to go on rampages. No, he would use his power to help. He would bring order, yes, a better order than the Jedi ever had. He will have surpassed his grandfather, truly earned the Skywalker name!

 _Yes, and all you have to do is get rid of the whelps that will amount to nothing anyway. Get rid of those two alien scum._

Closer.

 _Dispose of those pathetic siblings._

Closer.

 _The oriental girl could never be very strong and that blonde headed imbecile couldn't think his way out of a room with a door._

It was right in front of him now

 _With all of them out of the way,_ a chilled breeze blew across his face, _the brat should be a piece of ca-_

"DON'T YOU DARE!" Ben screamed. Cracks shot through the blue stone behind him. The voice went silent as the tunnel shuddered. "Don't you _dare_ speak of her!" Ben pushed himself off the wall. Ree's face was now in his mind. He could think clearly. With this realization, he quickly latched to every memory he had with Ree. His breathing slowed. The frenzied mess that was his mind was calming.

"I see now. You truly are nothing but a projection of my mind. You're what I keep locked up. Thanks for reminding me why I do." The chill was fading.

"If I let you out, I _would_ have a better chance of getting what I want. But it's not a guarantee. And I would lose what little I already have." He stepped forward. The mist was thinning.

"I'm not a man who likes giving up what's his. No matter how annoying, pointless or foolish, there are perks to my fellow Padawans. I will not throw them away for such a pathetic flail for power. I _will_ become a great Jedi, as great as my Grandfather, and my name will be known! You hear that, you fracking sicko, I _. Won't. Let. You. Win!"_

The deep chill vanished. Ben strained his ears, but heard nothing but his own heavy breathing and the pounding in his own ears.

The apparition was gone.

A soft glow suddenly cut through the dark. It was not yellow, but white. Ben slowly turned himself to see that it was emanating from the epicenter of the cracking where he was just leaning against the wall. He approached cautiously, but a smile crawled onto his face as he realized what it was. He reached a finger into the crack and, between his pointer and thumb, pulled out a small glowing crystal. Joy filled his being in a way he never thought possible. _I did it._

Smiling, Ben pocketed the precious gem and started heading back. He could sense things clearer now that the ordeal was over. He'd be out in no time. He could finally move on in his training.

Except the heavy coil by his heart decided to tighten.

Ben stopped in place, his face twisted in confusion. _But I got the crystal! What is this?!_

 _You cannot . . . lie to yourself . . . forever. . ._

The voice faded as quickly as it showed up again.

Against all odds, another glow caught Ben's eye. It was dimmer. Not as intense. The weight in Ben's chest wriggled as he walked cautiously toward it.

It was another crystal, wedged into the remains of what used to be his Starstone.

Ben felt that something subconscious was moving his limbs as he found himself reaching for it. When he touched this second crystal, a different emotion flooded him.

Instead of Joy, a sort of thrill shot through his body. He felt energy and power, strength and determination. While the first crystal felt good, this crystal felt _right._

Despite his better judgement, Ben pocketed the second gem as well. It appeared damaged anyway. No one would question it if they caught him with a cracked Kyber crystal, right?

 _You cannot . . . hide . . . yourself . . . for long . . ._

ox0XOX0xo

Ree was rocking a hole in the ground with how much she was rolling back and forth on her feet. Her friends tried to console her, assuring her that Ben was fine, but Ree wasn't as confident. Something felt-off. Like something was slithering in the air toward the cave, preparing to swallow her friend whole.

And it was scaring the pants off of her.

The sun was already in the middle of the sky. Ree promised herself that the moment it ticked past the middle, she was going to run down there and find Ben, whether Master Skywalker permitted it or not.

Ree was just questioning the possibility of some sort of crab monster living in the cave when her much worried for friend finally emerged from the shadows.

"Ben!" Ree cheered. The boy was too busy squinting in the glaring light to notice the child make a b-line for him. One moment Ben was minding his own business, adjusting his eyes to the afternoon light.

The next he had a pair of arms wrapped around his legs, threatening to topple them both back down into the cave.

"Gah! Ree! What the hell?!" He swung his arms around to try to keep his balance. Ree pulled away enough to stare at him with wide eyes.

"Ben, I was worried! You were gone for so long, and its dark down there with crab monsters and freaky slithering, and, and-" She hugged him again. "Just be more careful, okay?"

He had no idea what she just blathered. Ben looked up. His Padawan siblings had all conveniently found something more interesting to look at. A rock over there. Some grass over here. Master Skywalker was watching, but he had nothing but a smile on his face.

Ben thanked the Force for them being understanding enough to spare his dignity. He turned his head down toward the little girl. He hesitated for a moment, but then gently put a hand on her head. He ruffled her soft hair and she pulled away again.

He was smirking, but Ree could see the softer look in his eyes.

"Thanks for worrying, Ree, but you should have more faith. You know I can handle myself," He whispered. He removed his hand and Ree let go of his legs. Ree rubbed at her eyes and then grinned at him.

"I know, I couldn't really help it. So where is it?"

"Huh?"

"Your crystal, can I see it?" Ben reached into the pocket that held the first one. He held it in his hand for Ree to inspect in wonder.

"It's beautiful," she murmured.

Ben had to agree. They ended any further conversation and rejoined the group. Luke congratulated them all and started to lead the group back. Ree and Ben stayed in the back, giving Ree the opportunity to hold Ben's hand again.

Ben was actually glad for it.

The cave made him realize that Ree may be the only thing keeping him grounded.

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 **Okay, rant ahead! You have been warned!**

 **A guest brought up the belief that Luke is going to end up being Rey's father. I'm assuming they are referring to the movie. I'm glad someone brought this up, because I really want to mention something.**

 **In reality, it's probably true. They seemed to be implying they were related throughout the movie. Even I thought this when I saw the movie.**

 **But I really hope they don't, and this is why: _they've already done that trick!_**

 **If Disney really has Luke go up to Rey and say 'I am your Father' or anything of the sort, I'm going to be severely disappointed. The Force Awakens was awesome, but very similar to A New Hope. I can let that slide, but not if this mirroring-thing happens in the next two movies. If Luke is her dad and Rey loses a hand, I may just slam my head against the movie theater chair. Can't they introduce a character who came from nothing again, like with Anakin?**

 **I like to think that even if they do turn out to be father an daughter, my theory is still applicable. Instead of being dropped off, Luke just had her with him. I think this makes it even less likely, though.**

 **Oh well, until next time!**


	6. Chapter 5: The Pain I Hide

**Another chapter!**

 **For the sake of my paranoid mind, I'm going to put a little warning right here. The Padawans fears and memories, especially Heekra's, are kind of dark. They're only mentioned in passing, but they are sensitive topics that some people may relate to. You have been warned.**

 **Also, this chapter was kind of hard to write near the end, which sucks because it was supposed to be a very important turning point in Ben's view of Ree/Rey. Criticism and Reviews would be much appreciated! Enjoy!**

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"Ben, what are you doing?! The cycling energizer fields need to go the other way so they can funnel into the modulation circuits! And your tuning flange is upside down!"

Ben felt his eye twitch. The other Padawans were staring down the dining table. Surprise was the forefront emotion on all of their faces.

Who knew Ree was so tech efficient?

When the group arrived back at the temple, Master Skywalker made them put their Kyber crystals away and return to their normal schedules. He explained that the excitement of the past few hours shouldn't completely throw their schedule out of balance for the rest of the day. The antsy students were forced to sit through a suddenly tedious Jedi Code lesson. Then they had to wait until the time they usually started saber wielding to do what had been on their minds the entire day. It was only then that Luke called them all into the dining hall with the intention of helping them put their new lightsabers together.

He had provided a box of parts and gave a quick overview of how to assemble their sabers, passing out the essentials to each student as well.

Ree didn't need the more in depth explanation. The moment the Master had finished the overview, Ree got down to work with the pieces in front of her. Ben and the others barely had their outer shells assembled while Ree was already halfway done with the interior mechanics. Both she and Luke helped those who were struggling.

Ree thought it was funny how she was the one teaching Ben now.

"Jeez kiddo, where did you learn to do this?" Jaden asked. He himself was fiddling with installing his Kyber crystal. Ree could tell his crystal mount wasn't the right size. She got up from her seat to sift through the parts box on the table.

"My parents bought a TT-R droid to tutor me when they were gone. It was old and would break, so I taught myself to fix it," she found a larger mount and walked around the table to give it to Jaden. "I found out then that tweaking with things was fun!" Jaden thanked her and swapped his mount.

"To teach yourself at such a young age is amazing, Ree," Heekra praised. "I wish I had the opportunity as a child."

"Why couldn't you?" Ree sat back down at her seat. Heekra suddenly looked uncomfortable.

"I wasn't in the- _best_ of situations when I was little." Jaden whistled.

"Ree, you're going to have to tell me your secret. That's more than I've gotten out of her in over ten years!"

"Watch it, numbskull."

"Right, right, backing off now." Jaden raised his hands in defeat before getting back to his saber. Ree looked over to Heekra and gave an encouraging smile.

"Well, I can teach you now. I'm not that good at it myself, but it's better than nothing."

Heekra smiled warmly back. "Thank you Ree, that sounds nice."

"Hey, I want to learn too!" Val teased.

Rashto, Vin and Tierra all agreed. Ree beamed and started explaining the different parts, Luke interjecting to correct the few she struggled with.

Ben listened and fixed the few parts that Ree had explained before in his own saber. He found it incredibly frustrating to discover another thing he wasn't skilled with. Ben once heard a few rumors that Anakin was gifted with mechanics and droid work as a child, similar to the girl in front of him now.

 _Maybe that has something to do with why I get along with her so well_ , he wondered. _Maybe she's a lot like what a younger Anakin used to be._ He was proud of her, but couldn't help the small coil of jealousy in his gut.

 _could . . .be stronger. . ._

Ben's hand slipped and dropped one of the pieces. He glanced up from his work to see that everyone was still happily chatting, blissfully unaware of the haunting words that plagued Ben's mind. _Damn that cave!_

Ben realized soon after the group got back that his trial wasn't a special case. Everyone was shaken in one way or another. Little things gave away their discomfort. Jaden didn't crack any real jokes all day. The few times Rashto laughed, it sounded strained. Vin, Val and Tierra all seemed to have something on their mind and Heekra would curl her hands into fists every so often, as if something appeared in her thoughts that she wanted to beat back. Ree was the only one who didn't seem visibly affected.

That made him curious. He couldn't care less about the others. He already knew their main fears and memories.

Rashto had watched his father die in front of him in a sporadic attack by an enemy tribe on his home planet.

Jaden's older sister left his family, causing his mother and father to argue and grow apart.

Tierra felt the burden of upholding her family's honor by a father who wanted a son and would pick out her every flaw.

Vin and Val were abandoned in a care center on a city planet, struggling to stay together and forced to run off and live on the streets to do so.

Heekra was a slave child. Like many female Twi'leks, she was kept by a mobster as decoration for her beauty and a source of pleasure. She was the first Padawan Luke had taken on after Ben himself. The Master truly was a savior in her eyes, to pull her from the decrepit streets that she had known her whole life.

He was a savior to all of them. Each of them were pulled from that past of pain and taught to move past it. With Master Skywalker's generosity and kindness, everyone now had an opportunity to make something of themselves.

But Ben couldn't care less about them right now.

They were older, he knew they had surpassed their fears a long time ago. Ree was so much younger, had so much less experience. How was she so calm?

Ben let his mind wander as he continued to assemble his new weapon. Most of the chatter down the table was zoned out from his ears. Roughly a half hour later, Ben screwed on the final cover panel. His lightsaber was complete.

Ree, being Ree, immediately caught sight of it and bounded over to his side of the table. She herself had finished fifteen minutes before him.

"Ben, it looks amazing! I can't wait to see what your blade color is."

"You'll have to wait until everyone else finishes their own," the dark haired teen replied, a small smirk growing on his face when the little girl pouted.

He let Ree stand next to him while the others worked, talking to her about different lightsaber styles and designs. Looking at her smiling face, Ben realized how wrong it was to be jealous of her, even if only slightly. Ree wasn't Anakin, Ree was Ree. If she was skilled with mechanics because of practice and a passion for it, then that was what she could do. She had nothing to do with his grandfather. Ben had no right to compare and judge her. He made a small vow in his head to never think lowly of Ree if she ever turned out to be better than him in anything, as hurt as his ego may be. He would just use it as an excuse to work harder and get even stronger.

Vin and Tierra finished their sabers next, Jaden and Heekra after them and Val and Rashto wrapping it all up. The Padawans rose from their seats, all visibly eager to test their hand-made weapons. Luke could see the gleam of accomplishment in all of their eyes. He would hold them back no longer.

"You all may now activate your lightsabers, but remember, these are _weapons_. I trust you all are trained enough at your ages to restrain yourselves from simply waving them around," his eyes flickered to Jaden. Jaden suddenly found something very intriguing on the ceiling. Luke moved his gaze back over the rest of the student. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

With the Master's blessing, eight high pitched hums reverberated through the evening air. Awe filled the room along with the bright glow of the ancient Jedi weapons.

Ree found herself with a bright blue blade, similar to the kind Master Skywalker described himself as once having. She scanned the room to see Heekra, Val, Jaden and Rashto all holding sabers of glowing blue. Vin, Tierra and Ben all had green. _Kind of like the saber Master Skywalker owns now,_ she realized.

Ben's looked to be a slightly deeper green than the others. He was looking at it almost questioningly, but Ree assured him it was beautiful.

"It's not meant to be beautiful, Ree, it's meant to help us keep the peace." He seemed to be in a slightly better mood though.

"This is so cool!" Val exclaimed, gently waving the cyan blade back and forth to hear its wavering hum. Vin and Tierra crossed theirs for a short moment to see a white light flash upon connection. Both appeared intrigued.

"Oh ho ho, I can't wait to try these in the training hall!" Jaden took a stance and swung the saber in a move he had mastered years ago. He almost severed a chair.

Master Skywalker raised a hand for attention. "I believe that is enough excitement for tonight. Sheath your lightsabers and head to bed. Tomorrow we will use them in training. Goodnight, my students."

Lightsabers were sheathed and the students bowed. "Goodnight, Master Skywalker." Luke left the dining hall and the others funneled out to head toward their rooms.

Jaden nudged Heekra on the way out. "I'm totally going to kick your butt tomorrow." The Lethan rolled her eyes. "I'm serious! You better watch your back, Heekrasalempokwa, 'cuz you're going to find yourself repeatedly landing on it at training tomorrow." He dodged her flying fist and jogged down the hall backwards, making silly faces at her all the way to his room. Heekra was shaking her head when she noticed Ree staring at her with a dumbfounded expression.

"Your name is what?"

". . . JADEN!"

ox0XOX0xo

She bolted upright with a gasp.

She was there again. Struggling in the dark to find someone.

Ree sighed and maneuvered her shaking hands to untangle the bedsheets around her legs. _I've been doing so well lately. Why now?_

It must have been the trial. It reopened the wound in her heart that she had so carefully stitched together these past five months. It felt even worse than before. She didn't think she could go back to sleep.

 _A . . . lone . . . so . . . alone . . ._

 _Stop,_ she thought, pulling her knees to her chest and covering her ears with her hands. _Please stop._ She wasn't alone! Not here! She had so many good friends now, and a loving Master, and a best friend that would do anything for her. She was happy! There was no reason to be so scared.

Ree still felt shaken. Judging by the darkness outside, it was still late out. Or early. However it was, she had a long time before dawn. And she really would be alone.

 _No, wait,_ she thought. _Benny said that he would be there for me if I ever needed help. I don't want to bother anyone, but maybe, just this once . . ._

Ree made her decision, albeit hesitantly. Grabbing her pillow, she set her feet down on the stone floor and padded her way over to her door.

Before she knew it, she was in front of Ben's door, her little fist poised over it to knock. She stayed that way for a while as conflicting emotions clashed. Should she really bother him? She was almost seven, a pesky nightmare should mean nothing to her. She might upset Ben, she didn't want to be a pest, maybe she should crawl back in bed and just bare through it, she didn't have to drag her good friends down into her problems-

 _Alone . . ._

That settled it. She gently rapped her fist on the door that had become so daunting in the past few minutes. The seconds that followed felt like an eternity. Should she knock again? Maybe he was a deep sleeper?

Ree almost worked herself up into leaving again when the door opened with a disgruntled Ben behind it.

 _No going back now._

ox0XOX0xo

Ben was a very light sleeper. It didn't take much to wake him. So when his ears detected the subtle vibrations in the air that emanated from his door, he was up.

 _Who the hell could that be at two in the fracking morning?_

Maybe it was an animal. The knock was pretty soft and the temple was open to the elements, it was highly possible. He was close to convincing himself this and going back to sleep, but something niggled in the back of his brain. Against arguably better judgement, Ben pulled himself out of bed and answered the door.

Imagine his surprise when he made out the small form of Ree in the dark, holding a pillow in her arms. She was wearing a rumpled grey shirt and black shorts, looking all in the world like she had just rolled out of bed as well.

"Ree? What are you doing here, is something wrong?" The girl looked down at his feet. It was too dark to really tell, but she looked upset.

"Can I . . . come in?" Ben was reminded of the first day they actually met, when she asked him if she could continue to join him on the hill. She had prepared herself for rejection then the same way she was now. Ben wasn't planning on disappointing the child any day soon.

"Sure," he moved out of the door frame to let her move through. She glanced up to give him a small smile and murmured thank you as she walked in. Ben gently closed the door behind her and twisted a small Starstone embedded in the wall. A soft glow illuminated the room. He turned around to see Ree standing in the middle of the room, looking very uncomfortable and awkward.

"Alright, spill," he walked closer and got down on his knees, looking at his little friend's conflicted face. "What's wrong?"

She squeezed the pillow tighter. Her eyes stayed glued to the ground as her mind processed what to say. Ben employed the little bit of patience he had reserved just for her and waited. She would open up eventually. And she did.

She finally raised her eyes and looked at him. "I've been, um, having trouble sleeping," Ben stayed silent as she struggled with her words. "I was hoping that you, uh, would be okay if I stayed here?"

Ben's eyebrow raised. Really? Isn't she at an age where night problems weren't a problem anymore? He had no idea. What he did know was that he'd never seen the cheerful little Ree he knew so lost before. She had awarded him with a confidant and a companion when she became his friend. He realized now was time to offer support and patience from his end.

Ree was looking frantic from his silence. "I mean, only for tonight! I swear, I won't bother you again, I just-"

"Okay."

"-feel really nervous about being alo-what?"

"I said okay. I have no problem with it."

The joy and relief on the girl's face was enough for Ben to know he made the right choice.

"Thank you, thank you Benny! I'll be super quiet, I swear!" He put his hand on her head and ruffled her hair.

"Don't worry about it, squirt." He stood up and walked back to the door, disabling the Starstone. His eyes took moment to adjust when he realized Ree was laying down on the floor, curled up on her pillow.

"Ree, what are you doing?" She lifted her head up to stare confusedly at him.

"I'm going to sleep." Oh hell no.

"Not on the floor, you're not! Come on," he walked to his bed and pulled up the covers. "Get in." She tried to protest, but he would have none of it. Within a few seconds, Ree was tucked in snug on the bed. Ben took her place on the floor with his own pillow and a blanket.

"I'm sorry Benny, I didn't want this."

"Don't worry about it. I actually sleep on the floor myself sometimes." The beds were a little too soft for his liking. "Goodnight Ree."

"Goodnight Benny," he caught a soft 'thank you' before she was out like a light. _She was more exhausted than she must have realized,_ Ben thought, laying down on his own pillow.

It was peaceful. Ben could hear Ree's soft breathing and was slowly lulled into his own world of dreams.

But remember, Ben is quite the light sleeper.

A faint whimper drew him out this time. He was confused for a moment as his sleep addled brain struggled to comprehend what was happening. It then registered in his head that the whimpering noise was coming from his bed.

Ben sat up, putting his head level with the mattress. A heart wrenching sight met his eyes.

Ree was crying. Her normally smiling face was twisted with fear as tears dribbled down her cheeks. Her legs were moving, pulling the covers down and twisting them up around her calves. Ben was shocked. What could possibly be hurting her this bad?

Ben had never before looked into Ree's mind. He was tempted in the first few days he knew her, but refrained due to a strange feeling. It felt like it would be sacrilege to do something like that to her. He never really considered it again in the past few months until today. The trial had made him curious, but this thrashing Ree worried him more.

He made a decision. He needed to see what was plaguing his friend. Looking into her nightmare would help give him some insight on her situation and then maybe, just maybe, he could help her.

Ben outstretched a hand, holding it above Ree's sweating head. He closed his eyes and, with an ease that rivaled breathing, tapped into the Force. It didn't take long for him to open the path to Ree's mind. He closed his eyes and-

- _found himself in a house. A small dining room, to be precise. He didn't know much about homes, but this one appeared to be well off. What caught his attention more than the dining room was the little girl that was in it._

 _Ree was sitting at the table, swinging her feet beneath her. On either side of her was a man and a woman. Ben had to knock his memory around for a moment, but he quickly recognized them to be the man and woman that dropped Ree off all of those months ago._

 _Her parents._

 _Being a dream, everything was somewhat distorted, but Ben could see that Ree was smiling, trying to talk to the two adults. Ben moved forward enough to see that their faces were blurred. Without a word, the woman rose from the table. Ree was calling out to her, trying to get her attention, but the woman kept walking._

 _She walked to a door on one side of the room, threw it open and walked out. Ben could see her fade into darkness as the door closed behind her._

 _Ree was upset now, trying to talk to her father. Ben could feel his shock and anger grow as the father too picked himself up and walked out of another door. He ignored his daughter's cries._

 _Ree sat at the table by herself, the smiling face gone, despair seeping into her features. Then Ben saw the darkness._

 _It was moving in from around the dining hall, crawling along the walls and floors like a tangled mass of serpents. Ben tried to warn Ree, but he knew it was pointless. He was only a viewer, not part of the dream. She couldn't hear or see him._

 _But she saw the darkness. Ree was suddenly terrified. She sprung from the chair to the door her mother went through. She hit it and cried out, begging her mother to come back._

 _The dark crept closer._

 _She ran to the door her father went through, banging and screaming for him._

 _The dark surrounded her. Just like that, she was out of sight. Ben couldn't see her, but he could hear her._

 _She was screaming._

 _She was crying._

 _Ben couldn't take it. He tried to find her in the dark, calling for her, but it was hopeless. Then, just like that, the dark pulled back. Ben looked up to see Ree at the table again, trying more desperately to talk to the parents on either side of her._

 _They both left. The dark returned. It repeated._

 _Over and over._

Ben reeled back with a gasp. Perspiration speckled his face and his breathing was shallow and quick.

"By the Force," he breathed.

This shouldn't affect him so much. It was just a child's nightmare. He should have been able to observe the dream objectively.

But it was too similar. Too close to home. Ben's own memories flickered back to his childhood. Back when his pathetic excuse for a father would run off for months on end doing Force knows what as a smuggler. When his mother would be gone for entire days trying to help establish the New Republic, putting the foundation of another government over the raising of her own son. When Ben was by himself. When he was completely and utterly alone.

Then his parents decided to ship him off to his uncle when he showed Force sensitivity. Did her parents do the same? Did they send her here just to get rid of her? Just to get her out of their way, out of their responsibility?

She was like him. The realization was like a blaster shot to the face.

Ben had forgotten how painful the loneliness was. He had blocked it out over the years when he was young. Taught himself it was better to be alone. Everyone else was a fool in his way to growing stronger. He didn't need anyone anymore.

But Ree did. She was too young and kind to be going through this. This sickened Ben. If there was one thing he knew for damn certain, it's that he wouldn't let Ree go through this torment any more. Not if he could help it.

Ben held his hand above her head and delved back into her nightmare.

 _It was dark again. He could hear Ree crying in the distance. Ben ignored it for the moment and worked on manipulating the dream. He had never done it before, but he had to try._

 _"Come on," he muttered. The threads are her nightmare kept spiraling out of his mental grip, aligning back into their previous pattern. His frustration grew as he continued to try and pull them into a new dream. Work, damn it!_

 _Finally, by sheer force of will or luck, the dream wavered. The darkness disappeared, as did the dining room and Ree's parents. Now Ben had a blank slate to work with. He opened a part of Ree's mind to let her wishes and imagination seep through. Then he watched, prepared in the event the dream shifted back to the nightmare._

 _For a moment, there was nothing. A white emptiness._

 _Then, from Ree's imagination, a green field flourished. Blades of emerald grass shot up from the emptiness. Flowers burst into bloom, shades of every color imaginable painting the verdant scene. Above him the sky was dumped with cerulean tints, cloudless and bright._

 _In the middle of it all, a small figure sat up among the flowers._

 _It was Ree, clothed in a white dress, her brown locks down and free around her face. She looked around with astonishment before excitement illuminated her face. She leapt to her feet and danced with joy, laughing and cheering._

 _"That's more like it," Ben murmured._

 _This was the Ree Ben knew. His eyes softened to see her at peace. He pulled out of her dream, oblivious to the little girl looking in his direction as he left. She was smiling and waved._

When Ben emerged, Ree was still. Her breathing was deep and even, a small smile gracing her face. Satisfied with this, Ben pulled her covers back up to her chin and brushed her hair back from her face. He settled back into his own makeshift bed.

 _Ree's never seen a real field before,_ he realized. He had talked to her about it once. She never had an opportunity before coming to Avkir and she was too busy training nowadays. She had told him that she always wanted to see lush green fields that went on forever. _That settles it. We're taking a road trip tomorrow._

With that last thought, the young teen closed his eyes and collapsed into slumber for the final time that night.

He dreamed of flowers and a little girl taking his hand.


	7. Chapter 6: Like You, Like Me

**So sorry for the wait guys, this chapter was like pulling teeth with tweezers. Frustrating and painful. I was also initially planning to combine this chapter with the next since this chapter is just more sweet stuff without action, but its been taking too long and I don't want to keep you guys waiting any longer. If you're antsy for action, you're going to love/hate me for chapters seven and eight. Enjoy!**

* * *

It had been a long time in Ree's memory since she had slept so well. No nightmares, no tossing and turning and no fitful feelings of loneliness and the need to search. Instead, she could faintly recall a beautiful place of colors and peace. It was amazing.

She immediately suspected that Ben had something to do with it.

It wasn't just because she could hazily remember a figure with head of black hair staying with her in her dream. No, it was because he seemed . . . different.

At first, everything appeared normal enough. Ree had woken up to the sound of Ben padding around his room, getting things ready to go to morning meditation. He ushered her out and the little girl quickly went to her own room to get dressed. It was still dark, so nothing really caught her attention at first. She noticed the difference when she opened her door and saw him waiting for her. It was in his eyes.

Whenever Ben spoke to others, he was visibly guarded. Ree could tell that he had improved over time, but he still carried a wary air about him. His eyes would be framed by a stern expression, revealing no other emotion besides boredom and distaste. With Ree, he was warmer. He let the stern look in his eyes waver and allowed himself to smile and relax just the slightest. Something, however, was always still closed off, hidden from sight deep within him.

But this was new. As the duo walked down the hall to the main doors, Ree would sneak small glances toward the older boy to process what she had noticed before. She couldn't find the words to really describe what she was seeing in him. The closest analogy her mind could make was that the wall Ben had put up shattered. His eyes were clear, brimming with an emotion Ree thought might be excitement. He was no longer holding back in her presence.

Ree's heart fluttered in her chest as her brain processed this realization. _He trusts me. He completely trusts me now. What changed?_

She was happy of course, but confused. Her mind was swirling with questions when they entered the training room and throughout meditation, making it difficult to connect and focus. Master Skywalker's words flowed in one ear and out the other. It was just so out of the blue. What did she do to suddenly earn such faith? Surely it didn't have anything to do with sleeping over. She did unintentionally kick him out of his own bed, after all. _That_ was nothing to gain trust over.

When meditation ended and the students dispersed, Ree made her way to where Tierra and Vin were sitting for her daily hour of extended meditation. She was just getting ready to settle down when the source of her inner confusion walked up. She could see that the stoic wall was up again while the other two Padawans were present.

"Ree, I want you to come with me today. I have something else planned for your training," Ben looked only at her. Ree glanced between him and her two other friends. Tierra was already in a meditative stance, a small smile gracing her lithe features. Vin shrugged.

"We're okay with it, I suppose. Let us know how it goes, Ree." Ben nodded his head in Vin's direction, a small and rare sign of thanks in Ben's terse language with the others.

"Oh, okay," Ree stood up with Vin's dismissal. "I'll see you guys in Code study then!" The girl waved goodbye and turned to follow her dark haired friend out.

Vin watched them go before turning to Tierra.

"Does something feel strange to you or is it just me?"

The girl's smile widened. "Meditate with me and you'll see."

ox0XOX0xo

"Benny, where are we going?" small strides struggled to keep up with the large as Ben led them both up their usual hill. Ree had assumed Ben only wanted an early start on her lesson. Imagine her confusion when he walked right by it without a second glance and continued up the rocky mountain path.

"Someplace special." He slowed his pace and let the child catch up. Ree trotted beside him and looked at the path in front of them. She wanted to see if it led somewhere, but it curved around the hillside and out of sight.

"Come on, Benny, you can tell me!" Ben smiled and Ree grinned with joy when she saw how it reached his eyes. _It reached his eyes!_ She didn't think she'd ever seen him look so genuine. His smiles with her were always warm, but this felt _special._ This felt deeply _genuine._

"Why tell you when I can show you?"

That wouldn't stand for an impatient six year old.

"In that case," Ree sprinted forward. "I'll race you there!" She giggled and squealed with laughter when she heard the boy sputter with shock behind her. She rounded the bend with her small feet pounding the pebbled ground.

"You don't know where you're going! Get back here!" She could hear Ben running now. She laughed louder and willed her legs to increase their speed. There was no way she was going to let him catch her! The path started to incline, riding along the edge of the rocky slope. Ree was beginning to feel winded. Ben's footfalls were catching up quickly. Not today! She was at least going to make it past the bend ahead of her . . .

"Ree, wait!"

Ree rounded the corner, basking in the momentary glory of evading Ben for so long when-

"Oof!"

-she face planted into a rock.

The small girl bounced off of the boulder that had impeded her victory and landed on her back right as Ben came around the same corner.

"Oh shit, Ree are you okay?" Ben dropped down beside the girl who suddenly burst into laughter. She rubbed her head as Ben helped her sit up, muttering feeble 'ows' in between giggling peals of laughter.

"That was the dumbest thing I've ever done," she said. Ben started snickering himself once he made sure Ree's head was fine.

"I agree. Good thing you have a thick skull."

"Hey!"

"Don't 'hey' me. I tried to warn you."

"Warn me? There's a boulder blocking this path! Where are we going all the way out here?!" Ben held a finger up. Ree realized he was pointing and followed its direction to see the top of the small mountain, roughly four meters straight up the wall of rocks that made up the mountain side. She couldn't see what was over the edge. "Up there?" Ben nodded.

"It's a special place I found when I was little. The other Padawans never usually came out this far and when they did, they would turn back because of the blocked path. I decided to climb up one day and it's been my recluse ever since." He stood up and pulled Ree to her feet. "I've decided that I want to share it with you." Ree's happy expression faltered into one that resembled gentle awe.

"But . . . why?"

"You'll see. Now," he crouched down and gestured to his back. "Hop on."

"What?! Why can't we just move the boulder? You can't carry me while climbing a hill!"

"I'd prefer to leave the boulder undisturbed and you're not that heavy. Come on, we're wasting time, do you want to see this place or not?" That shut Ree up. She carefully climbed onto Ben's back, wrapping her small arms around his neck and clinging for dear life when the boy stood up. _Was he always this tall?! By the Force, he was like a living tower!_

Once he made sure she was secure, Ben started to climb, testing different footholds and notches in the crevices of the hillside before putting his weight on them and pulling himself up. Ree could tell that he had done this many times before by how quickly he found spaces to grip in the rocky wall. He didn't even sound out of breath when he reached the edge of the top.

Ree wondered if something was wrong when she realized that Ben wasn't moving to pull himself up and over. "Benny, are you okay?"

"What? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. But do me a favor and close your eyes." Ree pulled herself up enough so Ben could see her from the corner of his eye over his shoulder.

"Why?"

"Because this is supposed to be a surprise. Now," Ben hissed as he readjusted his grip on a rock. "Could you hurry up and close them? You may not be heavy, but some of these rocks are sharp."

"Okay, okay, they're closed!" Ben tilted his head to the side to see the child's face scrunched up with her eyes tightly shut. Satisfied with what he saw, Ben reached up one hand over the edge and internally breathed a sigh of relief when his fingertips dug into soft grass instead of sharp stone. He moved his leg for higher footing and pushed himself up, planting his second hand next the first and hauling himself up over the edge of the hillside.

Ree could feel Ben pitching over as he crawled over the small cliff. Blind, she was forced to trust him as he took them both a safe distance from the edge. It only took a moment before she could feel him crouching again. "Go ahead and climb off, Ree, we're here. Don't open your eyes yet." She felt one of his hands rest on hers as he helped her get down from his back. He directed her to face forward and took a step back himself.

"Alright. You can open your eyes." Ree did just that. For a moment, she couldn't see anything. The morning sun was approaching its afternoon peak, which made it especially bright to eyes that had just been screwed tightly shut. After blinking rapidly, her eyes then adjusted. And then Ree found herself walking in her dream.

What she had thought was just a large hill or small mountain was actually a plateau with a field layering its surface. A sea of green, speckled with clusters and masses of flora Ree didn't even realize existed, all swayed in the faint breeze of the higher air. Pinks, blues, yellows, golds, and every other color she had ever dreamed of. Soft spirals of white clouds floated among the ocean of blue that made up the sky. Ree felt her face go slack when a particularly strong gust of wind blew up some petals. It was like a rain of color. It was beautiful.

The edges of her mouth rose as her eyes widened. This was everything she had ever wanted to see. But how . . .

She had previously had suspicions, based only on her hazy dreams. But now she had confirmation.

She slowly turned to look at the boy behind her. Ben looked at peace. He was looking at her.

"You. It _was_ you. You were in my dream. You _fixed_ my dream." The boy looked surprised for a short moment before turning his head to the side, staring at a small cluster of flowers next to him. He appeared to be struggling with an explanation. He seemed to be, dare Ree wonder, _embarrassed_.

"You were thrashing lot, and, uh, it was keeping me up. I didn't mean to be invasive, you weren't supposed to know. In fact," Ben stared at her now with an expression that screamed dumbfounded. "How the heck do you know? It should have been impossible for you to see me." Ree's small shoulders raised in a shrug.

"I didn't see you at first. It wasn't until the flowers appeared that I saw you disappear." That seemed to satisfy Ben. As she spoke, though, she could remember more.

"I see. It's possible that your mind woke up slightly from my meddling enough to process my Force presence-"

"And then you came back."

. . .

" _What?_ "

Ree wished she had an image recorder to capture Ben's expression at that moment. He looked utterly dumbfounded, confused and shocked all at once. The girl laughed and walked over to him, taking his hand and gently pulling him along with a passing comment on how 'silly Benny was'. Ben was still struggling to comprehend what the child just told him.

He never went back into her mind. He went back to sleep. Maybe Ree dreamed up another Ben? No, something was off. Ben didn't remember having any dreams. But something about this moment, right here, with Ree carting him behind her in a green field, seemed eerily familiar. Could he have entered her dreams in his sleep? That should be impossible. Despite his immense skill, he always needed some form of focus. There always had to be at least one conscious person to connect minds, the records and Jedi teachings explained this much. So how? Maybe he was aware and simply forgot?

"Ree, tell me what I did when you saw me again." She stopped walking and stared at the ground for a moment. Pleased with what she saw, she looked up and smiled. Ben was expecting a description of him being his usual self, perhaps just standing off to the side as Ree enjoyed her dream. He was wrong.

" _We_ did this," and with that, the little girl fell back onto the flowerless patch of green Ben realized they were standing on. She laid there with her arms outstretched on either side, her eyes closed as the warm sun hit her face. One of her bright eyes peeled open. "What are you waiting for?" She patted the grassy space next to her.

 _Was she serious?_ Hesitantly, the boy followed her lead and stretched out beside her. Ree closed her eyes again. There was a moment of silence as the duo laid there. This was all Ben did? Relax with Ree? He should have found it foolish and a waste of time. And yet . . . he didn't feel like it was.

"It's so soft," Ree murmured, her light voice accompanied by the gentle breeze. "Softer than how I dreamed it to be." Ben turned his head to the side to get a better view of the girl's face.

"This was all we did?" Ben asked, voicing his inner question. Ree hummed in the affirmative. Her large eyes opened again and she rolled on her side to face him.

"Yeah, it was peaceful."

"Did I say or do anything else?"

"You didn't say much, but I'm positive you said something that sounded like 'not anymore'. Do you know why you said that?" Ben's expression didn't change. Instead, the little girl could see the emotion in his eyes. Her cheery expression faltered when pain and anguish flooded Ben's eyes. It was quickly shut away, but Ree saw enough. And Ben knew she did.

"I saw your nightmare." Ah. Ree figured that much. It would be hard to fix a nightmare if you never saw it. A sigh slipped through her lips and she rolled herself flat on her back again. This required an explanation. Ben had seen enough that she knew there was no point in keeping it under wraps anymore with him.

"My parents . . . were never home often. Mom worked with a security group on Catera and dad created droid personality cortexes for a company that spanned the system. They would work a lot. Which I would be okay with, but," she sighed again, deeper. "Something has been wrong for a long time. Ever since I could remember, mom and dad would . . . well, they would leave me alone for days on end. I would never know when it was about to happen since they wouldn't tell me until the last second. Sometimes I'd be left at a friend's house, sometimes in our own apartment. The record," she held up an arm with three fingers raised, "is three weeks." Ree lowered her arm and rolled her head over to stare at Ben. His face was guarded now, waiting for Ree to continue. She couldn't see his knuckles turning white from clenching his fists so tightly by his sides.

Ree gave a nervous laugh. "I know it looks bad, but I trust my parents. Before they would leave they would hug me and tell me that they loved me and that they would come back soon. And they would. They always came back. I guess I can't help but be scared that one day they won't. The thought was always in the back of my mind every time they left." Another moment of silence. "Why . . . do you care? You didn't have to help me. I get over it after a while, it's not that big of a deal." The rustle of grass reached her small ears as Ben turned on his side this time.

"Because I've lived that nightmare. My whole childhood."

Bright eyes widened in shock and Ree's head twisted against the ground to pin the boy with her gaze. Now Ree needed the explanation. If he was comparing his actual childhood to the terrors she witnessed many nights, then Ree had a valid reason to be deathly worried for her friend.

"You've probably heard of my parents. Her majesty Leia Organa and the great Han Solo," his dripping sarcasm didn't miss Ree's attention as she slowly nodded. Even on a remote city planet, Ree had heard talk of the Rebel Heroes. "Well, they never wanted me. Not really. You see, I was a ' _surprise_ '. An unplanned event. And despite all of the claims of 'love' and 'support', things dissolved quicker than light speed. Dad was a free spirit and mom was a powerful leader. They were bound to butt heads." Ben's eyes closed, but Ree could see the tension growing in his forehead. "Every time they did, things grew more strained. Eventually the old man went back to what he did best and mom dove into organizing the government and the New Republic. After that, I was alone. I would never see them. I guess it's hard to spare time for something you didn't originally want. Then they shipped me off to Uncle Luke the moment he decided to accept students."

His brown eyes opened and met Ree's. The tension faded just the slightest. "I fixed your dream because I know how it feels to be cut off. I know that fear and pain and I wouldn't stand to see someone like you going through that." He chuckled in a half-hearted manner.

"Funny. You're the first person I've ever talked to about this. To think, the only other person I've met who could possibly understand how it feels, is a kid."

Ree, who had been uncharacteristically solemn the whole time, allowed herself to smile. So this was why his eyes had changed. He had found a kindred spirit in her.

"Maybe a kid was all it took to understand."

If this were another situation, Ree would have slugged Ben in the arm and told him to snap out of it. She would have told him to have more faith in others, that not everyone abandons their loved ones. But she could understand why Ben felt this way from her own personal experiences. And if Ben could wash away her demons, then she would smother the remnants of his.

She held her arm up between them, pinkie extended. Confusion settled on Ben's face and he stared at Ree for an explanation.

"I propose a promise. No matter what happens, no matter what we go through, we'll have each other's backs. Even if everyone else leaves us, which they _won't,"_ she raised a brow, "because I don't think you should give up on them so easily. But if they do, we'll still be there for each other. No more being alone, no more being left behind. Deal?"

Never before had anyone said such a beautiful thing to Ben. From the mouth of this six year old girl were the words that a younger Ben would have wept upon hearing. Ben was older now, he had surpassed his childish fears, but that didn't make the words any less powerful. He reached out and interlaced her pinkie with his own.

If he had known the consequences this decision would wrought in the coming months, he would have slapped her hand away. He would have saved himself from the pain and disaster to come. But his inner and suppressed child would have had none of it. Temptation was sweet. The child screamed inside him to take the precious offer.

On that late morning, secluded from the universe among the undulating grass and flowers, warmed by a distant star and cooled by a gentle breeze, a promise was struck that would change everything.

"Deal."

ox0XOX0xo

The mood lightened immensely after that heart to heart. Ben and Ree enjoyed their remaining down time on the field, occasionally teasing each other and succumbing to laughter. Ree could see the effects of an unseen burdened being lifted from Ben's shoulders, similar to the one Ben could see rising from Ree's. When the sun reached its peak, the two friends begrudgingly pulled themselves up from their grassy beds. Neither seemed very keen on returning to the temple for Code study.

Ben let Ree climb onto his back. He safely maneuvered them both down the cliff and back to the path. The trek toward the temple began when Ree piped up.

"We'll come back here again, right?" Ben scoffed.

"Of course we will. Like I said before, that's my recluse. We'll be going there often to cool off if I have to deal with too much stupidity from our fellow Padawans."

"They are _not_ stupid! You just have too big of an ego to accept that they have skills too! That's bad for your Jedi training, you know."

"Whatever you say, squirt."

"Mop-head."

"Pint sized."

"Speckle face."

"Hairless Ewok!"

"Snotty Schnauzer!"

Their raised voices broke away into laughter again. It was hard to take each other seriously when they made fun of each other.

Ree was smothering her giggles when she felt something brush against her hair. She gently touched her head to feel something velvety and soft settled there among the strands.

"Did you just put something in my hair?" Ben kept his head forward and focused on traversing the path.

"Maybe."

Ree carefully pulled the object free from the back of her braid, discovering it to be a delicate dark purple flower no bigger than her thumb. Its richly colored petals speckled with silver framed its bright white center. It was a pretty little specimen. "I thought it looked nice," Ben said. "I know you like color, so I thought that maybe you'd like it. As a momentum." A sweet gesture, but Ree felt a twinge of sadness.

"I do like it, but you didn't have to pick it. Now it will die sooner instead of waiting for us next time we go." She brushed her thumb over the flower. "But thank you."

A narrow black eyebrow rose in a questioning gaze. "You're welcome. You do realize it's just a flower though, right?"

"Yes, and it was _alive._ Growing and blooming. I would have liked to look at it again back at the field." Her face slackened as she went into deep thought. It only took a moment for it to light up again. She beamed up at Ben. "You think it's pretty, right Benny?"

"Sure, I suppose. Why?" Ree put the flower back in her hair with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

"I think I just got an idea." There seemed to be more pep in Ree's steps as she kept up with Ben. The boy shook his head with a smirk. _The things that made her happy._

He decided to ignore the voice of his own pride and held out his hand. Ree was astonished for only a moment before grinning ear to ear and taking it in her own. They were just passing their usual spot on the hillside. It was like a parallel of their first time up there together, except Ben was the one to offer his hand first. This was the first time he had ever done that.

Funny, how people change when they finally open up.


	8. Chapter 7: Driven to the Dark

**Again, apologies for the wait. Life decided to sucker punch me in the face and I couldn't roll with the blows. That, and my writing has been frustrating me lately. I'm not sure if fight descriptions are my forte. Criticism is welcome. Enjoy!**

* * *

The rest of the afternoon came and went. The Padawans were as eager as they were the day before, glancing out every window they could to keep an eye on the closest star in the sky. The farther it dipped down, the more excited and agitated the children grew. After what seemed like eons of waiting, dusk arrived. The time had come.

Lightsaber training.

In each of their rooms, the young students reached, not for their fighting staffs, but for the compact devices they had created by their own hands. Devices that would channel their manipulation of the Force in ways they could scarcely comprehend.

Their enthusiasm was so great as they entered the training hall that the air already seemed to be humming. Master Skywalker was there to greet them, standing at the front of the room with his hands clasped at his front within the sleeves of his robes. A glint was in his eyes. The Padawans stood before him and bowed in respect, awaiting the words that would begin the moment they were all waiting for. The master let his gaze wander and settle on each student before speaking.

"Padawans," Luke began, "today you will begin the training you have long since been deprived of. You will find that through your Lightsabers, a certain clarity will be found. This is because they are intrinsically linked to the Force. Your saber is an extension of yourself." He withdrew one of his hands to ignite the famed green saber the Padawans rarely had a chance to see. There was a slight intake of breath as the Padawans watched the humming blade waver through the air. "Wield it as such, and the Force will guide you through it. Heed its voice. I know it has saved me many times."

He pointed his saber down to the ground. "Your situation is unique. You have the training to wield a saber, but you lack the ability to use its Force connection. With this in mind, I have decided to use this training session to start a series of one-on-one mock battles. The point of this exercise is to force you all to learn how to listen to the Force through your sabers in a moment of stress. I will stand by with my own saber to intervene if I have to."

"Master, may I ask a question?"

"You may, Tierra."

"Do you intend for us all to train at once or must we take turns?" Luke chuckled.

"Well, there is only one of me. I'm afraid the battles must be done one at a time for now. Once you all feel more comfortable with your sabers, I will allow you all to train at once." The Padawans wouldn't moan or complain. They were trained against such childish and pointless impulses. But it was hard to miss the slight slump in all of their shoulders at Luke's words.

So much for getting right into training.

"I can see you are all still eager, so I won't hold you back any longer. We will begin now. For our first exercise, I would like Valerie and Amiri to come up to the front." For a moment it felt like Ree's stomach had turned into a stone to nestle in her gut. She had to go first? She knew she wasn't even close to the experience level of any of the Padawans, who had trained for most all of their childhoods. Did Master Skywalker really think this was a good idea?

A gentle nudge greeted the small of her back. She didn't have to glance to the side to know it was Ben. She could imagine what he was thinking: _Don't be scared. You're not a baby anymore. You will be fine._ With these words in her head, she approached the front of the room.

Val was already there with a grin on her face. The red-head gave a quick wink as Ree took her place across from her. The smaller girl returned the smile. Why was she even worrying? Master Skywalker was right there and Val would never hurt her on purpose. And she could finally test her saber! The excitement returned and pushed all previous anxiety to the back of her mind.

"I have chosen you two primarily due to your smaller sizes," Luke stated. "Val, I was also hoping your more gentle style would help Ree adjust quicker. Having said this, are you both ready?" Twin cries of 'yes Master' filled the room. "Then you may ignite your sabers. Begin!"

Ree quickly unclipped her saber from her belt and clicked the button, watching the bright blue beam of light emerge from its silver container. She heard the second hum of Val igniting her own blue blade, already in one of the practiced stances. Ree's mind fumbled for a moment before she settled into one herself. There was a moment of quiet with nothing but the low hums as the two duelers assessed one another.

A decision was made and Val lunged forward, swinging the blade down towards Ree's left side. Ree pulled in her arms and adjusted her wrists to deflect the oncoming blow.

As soon as Val's blade bounced off with a flash, she had already swung it around to get Ree from the right. The girl's arms screamed from the speed at which she had to yank her saber around. Another flash. Ree pushed her arms further and tried to deflect Val's saber to the ground, giving her a shot at an upward slash. Despite being short for a fourteen year old, Val was still much taller than the little girl, making it easy to yank her blade out of Ree's downward pin. She was swinging the blade back up towards the right of Ree's torso, forcing Ree to whip her saber back up for the defense.

That's when Ree felt it. It was subtle yet, at the same time, was encompassing her every sense. It was as if strings were tugging at her arms to move a certain way while an eerie and foreboding feeling nudged at her mind. It didn't actually make her do anything, but it was telling her something. And if she didn't listen, something bad would come of it.

Remembering Master Skywalker's words, Ree gave herself to the feeling and moved her arms in the direction the Force was telling her. It had her twist the saber to point down by her left legs. Seemingly out of the blue, Val's saber whacked into her own. It turned out that while Val was moving her blade up, she adjusted the angle of the saber so it would swing in front of Ree instead of at her. Once on Ree's other 'unprotected' side, she tried to extend the blade again to swing back down near Ree's hip.

Val had control. She was fully expecting to have to hold that last swing to prevent from severing Ree's leg. Imagine her pleasant surprise and glee to see that Ree had managed to block it without a problem. _That's it, Ree!_

Empowered by confidence, Ree went on the offensive. She used the many forms she was taught in the past five months, trying to mix and alter them for a one up, but each of them were intercepted by Val's more experienced techniques. If she felt the feeling, she would immediately heed its warning, preventing her from needing any interception by Master Skywalker. Ree was forced to block another blow when Master Skywalker raised a hand towards them.

"You may stop now. Well done, both of you! I can see that training has helped you both improve. Are you both beginning to recognize the Force through your lightsabers now?"

"Yes, Master."

"Very good. You may both take your seats. Now I would like Tierra and Vincent to come to the front."

Ree stumbled back to her mat, suddenly feeling like her arms and legs had turned to noodles. Fighting like that was more exhausting than training. She was pretty sure it had only been four or five minutes, but it felt like an eternity in its intensity.

Ben gave her a quick smile when she collapsed onto her mat before returning his attention to the sparking green blades of Tierra and Vin's battle. Ree inwardly smiled and watched the training as well.

The older Padawans were definitely much faster than her. Ree had a feeling Val was cutting down on her speed for her sake. Tierra and Vin were moving with a smooth and fast pace, making the fight look almost like a choreographed dance. While they were quick, however, Heekra was like a whirl of light when it was her turn. She would be slashing down from one side only to be upper cutting on the other the next.

For some reason, Heekra was put against Rashto. Ree thought Jaden would be a better match, but she was surprised to see that Rashto was pretty quick on his feet too for being such a big guy. He definitely wasn't as fast as Heekra, but he was holding up well. Ree wondered if it was because he could sense the Force better or something.

Master Skywalker stopped Heekra and Rashto after several minutes of exchanging blows. They bowed and took their seats. Now was the time Ree was looking forward to with great anticipation.

Ben's turn.

ox0XOX0xo

He had watched the matches with a sharp eye, taking in the small ways each Padawans style changed as they wielded their sabers. Sure enough, there were slight nuances in their stances, their swings, and their speed. Each student was discovering their style as lightsaber wielders, listening to the Force through the crystals in their blades. The thought of feeling such a connection brought chills of excitement up Ben's spine.

It was happening. They were getting closer than ever to being true Jedi Knights.

"Now for our final match: Ben and Jaden, please come up."

Ben could hear Ree mutter what sounded like 'good luck' as he rose from the mat. He didn't smile, but he felt a small swell of pride. Ree and her luck again. Of course he'd be fine. He wasn't the best in saber training, but combined with the Force, he was confident he'd give even Jaden a run for his credits. And with more practice, he'd be the best Jedi the galaxy had ever seen.

Second only to Anakin, of course.

He took his place across from the cocky blonde, waiting for his uncle to start their match. Jaden had an infuriating smirk pasted on his smug face that Ben would just _love_ to pummel off. What a wonderful opportunity he was being presented with.

Master Skywalker looked between the both of them with a more serious expression. "Out of all of the Padawans, I ask for the both of you to be cautious. You may begin."

The moment between both of them igniting their sabers and clashing was nearly instantaneous. In the blink of an eye, white flashes sparked between the green and blue blades as the two boys lunged at each other.

Ben could immediately tell he was in more trouble than he originally expected. Jaden was fast and left little time for Ben to go on the offensive. The more skilled Padawan would overwhelm him if he didn't take control of the battle soon.

Ben realized this, but putting it into action was a different story. He was too focused on preventing his head and limbs from being cleaved off to get on the offensive. He would prepare to press forward only to be forced into a different stance by an oncoming blue saber. Ben grit his teeth as frustration began to build. What was even more infuriating was that Jaden's Force-damned _smirk_ was still there. The brain dead fool knew he was winning.

Why wasn't he feeling anything? There was nothing. Ben was trying to reach the Force through his lightsaber, hoping for more guidance and an open mind. But nothing useful was provided. Oh, he could feel a faint warning every time Jaden was close to clipping him, but there wasn't anything to guide him forward, to actually help him win. What was the point of keeping him from getting hurt if he was going to lose the fight and die later?! Was he missing something? Even the warnings seemed to be growing fainter as the battle went on.

Ben jerked his head to the left as the humming saber swung by his face. A step was taken back. He was losing ground. Jaden must have been emboldened by the idea of winning because his speed suddenly increased. Ben swung his saber to the left, right, block the legs, deflect on the torso. There didn't seem to be an end.

 _Fine._ If he wasn't going to get any real help from his blasted lightsaber, then he was going to push forward by himself.

Ben let the barrage of blows continue, waiting for a moment when Jaden pulled back his saber to strike forward. It would be a risk. Ben would be able to move and possibly get on the offensive, but then he would be defenseless to Jaden's oncoming strike.

 _It'll be worth it,_ he thought with a snarl. He just blocked a swipe that was aimed for his right ribs. This was it. Jaden was pulling his saber up, preparing to slash down on Ben's exposed head.

 _Now._

Ben surged forward, stabbing the humming green lightsaber towards Jaden's exposed left hip when-

-a blue blade blocked him.

 _What!?_ Ben's eyes shot to Jaden's face. That shit-eating grin was even wider. "Come on Ben, don't be so shocked. You should understand how the Force works better than anyone." Blue knocked back green.

" _Should,"_ the blonde muttered, just low enough for Ben to catch. Red crawled along the edges of his vision. This punk _dare_ mock him! Ben didn't have time to reign in his rage before Jaden was slashing at him again. Ben was stumbling, losing his rhythm as he struggled to focus on the battle.

It was a pointless struggle. Jaden was too quick. Before Ben knew it, his saber was hit hard enough to knock it toward the ground. He could already see that Jaden was getting ready to swing again.

Ben could see what was wrong as it was happening. Everything seemed to move slowly. Jaden's blue saber humming closer to Ben's head. Ben was still pulling his saber back up. He was moving too slow. Jaden's eyes widened as he realized Ben wasn't going to be able to block in time. He was already halfway through the motion. He couldn't pull back fast enough.

Yet, with a hum and a flash, a green saber blocked its path to Ben's head.

The boy fought back a feeling of disgust in himself.

His uncle just had to intervene.

Out of all the Padawans, out of all the fights, he was the one who screwed up enough for an intervention.

Jaden immediately pulled his saber away from Master Skywalker's and stepped back. The master carefully pulled his own lightsaber away from Ben's head before deactivating it. Ben could feel a hand clamp down on his shoulder.

"Ben, are you alright?" He shrugged it off. He was not in the mood for pointless pity.

"I'm fine, _Master._ " He and Jaden both deactivated their sabers and bowed to Luke, Ben's being curter than what was really considered respectful. The boys then returned to their mats. Luke appeared bothered by something, but said nothing about it. Instead, he gave his attention to all of the students sitting before him. A smile was on his face again.

"You have all done well, I am proud of the progress you have all made. I believe it is time for supper and to retire for the day."

The students rose and, again, bowed to their master before moving to the doors. Ben strode faster than all of them, Ree trotting behind him with a worried expression.

"Ben, what's wrong? Don't tell me nothing, I know you." Ben didn't look at her when he spoke.

"Not right now, Ree, I'll talk to you later." With that, he continued down the hall past the dining area through the main doors, leaving Ree behind with the others.

He didn't join them for dinner.

ox0XOX0xo

Slamming the door open provided little satisfaction. Neither did slamming it behind him once he entered the sanctuary of his room. In an act of barely restrained rage, Ben threw his pathetic lightsaber at the nearest wall with a grunt.

Now that satisfied him. The sharp clank as the metal collided with the stone abated the festering anger only slightly.

"What the fracking hell is wrong with you?!" he cursed under his breath. Whether he was referring to his saber or himself, even he wasn't sure. All he knew was that this unbidden rage was still gnawing at him, scraping against the edges of his being like a monster at a flimsy cage wall. It had been a long time since something had enraged him in such a way. Several months, in fact. And the temptation to give in felt so _good_.

 _This is wrong. I should stop,_ he thought, but the voice of reason was quickly drowned out in fury. _That was disgusting! That was sick! How could I have failed so horribly against such a buffoon?! I am better than that. I am better than him!_ He nails were cutting into his palms enough to draw blood. The saber that had clattered on the floor suddenly rose into the air. It shot across the room and was snatched by Ben, who glared at it like it was the source of all his trouble. Which, unsurprisingly, he was attributing it to being.

"You were supposed to make me stronger," he murmured. His grip tightened, smudging small beads of crimson on its silver face. "So why the _hell_ do I feel even more helpless than before!" It had felt so wrong the entire fight. Everyone else had improved with the addition of their sabers except him. It had to be the saber. _But it called to me. It's supposed to be mine._

That wasn't completely true. Ben's eyes flickered to the desk behind him. He never told his uncle about the second Kyber crystal that was currently sitting in the drawer. The circumstances that shrouded the crystals discovery felt too dark to explain to his uncle. Combined with the fact that Ben felt more drawn to the cracked crystal than the normal one, his uncle would probably lock him in the records room with instructions to meditate and reflect on the teachings for the rest of his life.

 _'Stronger', the voice had whispered in the cave. A reflection of my inner self,_ Ben pondered, moving toward the desk. _Maybe I should look into this._

He slammed the saber on top of the desk and opened the drawer. The little crystal was there, looking rather innocent in its size and clear color. The crack that glimmered through its center was the only thing that gave away its questionable nature. And by fate or the Force, what else would be sitting beside this mysterious crystal but the hologram disk Ben had shoved out of sight all those months ago.

It didn't take long for Ben to make the connection. He had questions. His uncle wouldn't be able to answer. This Snoke person could, if the offer was still up. He wasn't going to do anything rash, he just wanted to know more about the crystals and sabers. _Why not?_

He removed the cracked Kyber and the disk and set both items on the desk beside the useless saber. Leaning against the desk, he glared at the three items as if he expected them to do something on their own. Was advice from a stranger really worth it? Force sensitive or not, Snoke could easily be lying about knowing anything. _An even better reason to ask: if he's an absolute quack, I can just snap the disk and move on._ His mind was set. He clicked the disk on and watched the blue light flicker up from its center.

It was blank for a moment.

Then the particles of light wavered and took shape, revealing the scarred and disfigured face of the mysterious old man. The twisting of his leathery cheeks looked all the more revolting when he smirked at Ben.

 _"Ah, if it isn't the young Ben Solo,_ " he rasped. _"I admit, I wasn't expecting you to hold off for this long. Are you considering my offer?"_

"Not quite, old man. I have questions. You said you had answers for me. Do you?" The faint smirk faded into an equally disgusting sneer.

 _"That would depend on the questions, boy. And it would do you some good to learn some respect. You know yet naught of the man to which you speak."_

Ben was going to retort about how he couldn't give a frack about who the coot was when he felt a pressure around his throat. It was faint, but definitely present. Like a warning. Ben felt the blood in his veins freeze when his brain processed what was happening.

This Snoke was on the verge of _Force choking him._ Ben should have been terrified, but he was too much in shock and awe to let his fear take root. Snoke had told him in their last conversation that he was at the outer edge of the galaxy. Ben was being _Force choked_ by a man _nearly a galaxy away._ Ben had never heard of such a feat. Snoke was far more powerful than Ben had initially realized. The revelation effectively cowed the boy into submission and silence.

As quickly as the pressure appeared, it vanished. Ben fought the urge to touch his neck in view of the hologram. He wouldn't give the strange man the pleasure of knowing he had caused such an impact.

Snoke's sneer was gone. Instead, a critical eye was inspecting Ben.

 _"You were saying, young Solo?"_ Ben gathered his wits to prevent from making a further fool of himself. This man was not one to fool around with, it seemed.

"Yesterday, my fellow Padawans and I were informed of a Kyber crystal cave not far from our temple. We participated in a butchered version of The Gathering and assembled our lightsabers."

 _"The Gathering. A ridiculous Jedi tradition,_ " the words were all but spat from the holograms audio transmitters. _"Tell me, Solo, did meet your expectations? Are you satisfied with your result?"_

A lightsaber being slammed on the desk before him was the old master's response. "What's wrong with it?"

 _"You've been disappointed. I'm not surprised."_ Ben felt a weight in the air as the saber faintly rattled.

 _This should be impossible_ Ben thought, mystified by power being displayed before him. When the saber stopped rattling from Snoke's Force sensing, the old man stared Ben down with a knowing gaze and the shadows of another smirk. _"You wish to know what is wrong with this lightsaber?"_ Ben didn't trust his words and simply nodded.

" _Nothing. This lightsaber is fine,"_ the edge of his thin lips twitched up. _"For a Jedi."_

 _Shit._

Ben wasn't sure what to make of this revelation. He was struggling to use a lightsaber that aligned with the Jedi way. With the Light side of the Force. That implied that Ben wasn't aligned with the Light, or at least, not completely. Impossible! He had been training to the Jedi Code since he was a child. He knew no other way. He couldn't possibly . . . there was no way . . . he couldn't possibly have a tie to the Dark!

And yet the cracked crystal that laid on his table begged to differ. His dark double that was locked away in his mind prodded at his consciousness to remind him it was there. His will to succeed, his superior view, and his need to be _stronger_ were all playing their part _._ But now Ben could see it wasn't just strength he had been craving all his life. It had been power.

Luke's words from so long ago wafted through his mind. The support of strength and the force of power.

The Jedi meaning of strength was to be unfazed by obstacles and to be able to deal with any problem, to act as a sort of source of inspiration to inspire strength in others. A noble characteristic, but Ben was beginning to see that he didn't want to just be some pathetic pillar of nobility.

He wanted to actually influence others, to make real differences, to make his mark in the galaxy. He wanted the whole galaxy to look to him and see someone they should follow as a leader. Someone they should respect and, dare he say, fear. Someone _powerful_.

A pattern was forming in Ben's life that he had tried so long to ignore, and the picture it was creating frightened part of Ben.

The other part was relieved and lusted for more.

This turmoil and confliction was impossible to miss for the Supreme Leader. If the man could grin, he would be. He was finally getting through to the stubborn young fool.

 _"I sense that there is something else you wish to discuss."_

Ben slowly reached for the cracked Kyber and held it within view of the hologram. He was still hoping . . .

"What can you tell me about this crystal?" This time, the gem was pulled from his grip as it hovered before Snoke's eyes. It rotated upon an unseen axis, its cracks shimmering in the dull yellowy-orange glow of Starstones. This inspection took longer than the one for the saber. After a minute or two, the gem shot up into the air and was swiftly caught by Ben.

 _"This Kyber is highly unstable. A lightsaber made with it will be most volatile indeed. But within the right hands, I sense that it will be incredibly powerful. A saber as volatile as its wielder."_ This wasn't promising.

"Is it of the Dark?"

 _"Does that truly matter if it matches your Force signature? Do not limit yourself, Ben Solo. You are so much more than the limitations the Jedi place on you."_

He almost let his shoulders slump. This was too much to believe. His entire life's teachings were being ripped apart in front of his eyes. Hell, his character as a person was being put into question. Was he really that messed up? Just who was he?

Like a blessing from the Force, a gentle knock emanated from Ben's door and expelled his conflictions for the moment. He quickly glared at the hologram. "We'll talk about this later," and he flicked the device off. He shoved it and the cracked Kyber in his drawer before approaching the door.

And who else would be behind it but little Ree and a steaming bowl of vegetable soup. Ben released a sigh of relief. Someone he could actually talk to. Ree was rocking on her feet again, her lips pulled into a sheepish smile.

"Hey Benny. You, uh, missed dinner, so I thought I would bring you some. Do you want to talk?"

 _Hell yes._ _Ree, you are the best._ "Of course, come on in Ree." He held open the door and let her through. She set the piping hot bowl on his desk and hopped onto his bed, patting the space next to her.

"What, don't I get to eat first?"

"If you were in the mood to eat you would have come to dinner. No, you want to talk." As perceptive as ever, it seemed. Ben shook his head with a smirk and sat beside the girl. Ree got straight to the point.

"You're frustrated because you didn't beat Jaden and almost got hit."

"Yeah."

"But what you're really angry about is that you felt you _should_ have won, even against Jaden, and you don't know why you didn't."

". . . . . Yes."

"I thought so. Kind of obvious, really."

"Hey, that almost sounded insulting."

"Only if you take it that way." Ree looked to her feet as they swung underneath her. Ben could tell that she was thinking hard, trying to phrase what she wanted to say. "Benny, why do you push yourself so hard? No one is perfect, it's okay to mess up a couple times. You don't have to get so upset."

She moved her gaze to his face. Her eyes glimmered with worry. Ben stared back and tried to sift past all of the recent crap that had entered his brain to find the best way to explain. He trusted Ree, but he wasn't about to tell her that he suspected he was slowly being seduced to the Dark side that they were all taught to avoid. That would be too much for the child to understand, no matter how clever.

"I guess you can say I've got high standards to meet." One of her thin brows quirked itself upward.

"You mean Master Skywalker? He's a Jedi Master, none of us are at his level. Comparing yourself to him is just silly," she said. Ben shook his head.

"No, not my uncle. He has done great things, but my main source of inspiration for most of my childhood was actually my grandfather, Anakin Skywalker." Now the girls face was contorted with confusion. It would have been funny if her next words didn't strike him across the face.

"Who's Anakin?"

Ben felt his blood freeze for the second time in the past half hour. Her question slowly crawled into his ears and made its way to his brain. When he finally processed it, he balked. His wide eyes stared at the child like she was an anomaly.

" _You haven't heard of Anakin Skywalker_?!" Ree held her hands up in an attempt to calm him.

"No, but Catera is small and far off for a city planet! News doesn't travel the same. If you tell me a bit about him, I might remember something my parents said." Ben huffed. Inexcusable. Anakin was the fracking Balancer and Chosen One, children should know about him from bedtime stories and tales of his past heroics, no matter where they are in the galaxy. He told Ree just that.

"Anakin had the highest midi-chlorian count on record, greater than even the Grand Master Yoda. From this, the Jedi realized he must be the Chosen One of the prophesy. He was to bring balance to the universe. They took him in, trained him into one of their young and gifted Jedi Knights. From _nothing._ He did great things as a Jedi and was, in the end, the one who killed Emperor Palpatine, bringing an end to the corrupted Empire and the power of the Sith. I suppose more people would admire him if it weren't for his time as Darth Vader." A sharp gasp cut him off.

" _Your grandfather was Darth Vader?!"_ Ree's mouth hung open. Ben sputtered.

"How the hell do you know about Darth Vader and not about Anakin Skywalker?" Ree abruptly shut her mouth and shrugged.

"Mom and dad would tell me stories. They were kids when he was around, and they heard terrible things . . . but not all of that could have been true, right? Not if he was your grandfather." She looked so hopeful. Surely, her best friend and Master Skywalker couldn't be related to the monster her parents told her about. Not to such a powerful and dark Lord, the one who brought battleships and rains of fire on planets. Not to one who slaughtered so many who defied him.

Right?

Ben wanted to assure her, but the question caused him to pause. What did he know, truly, of Darth Vader? The galaxy knew he was a conqueror, a powerful force of the Empire. All other limited facts and information Ben gathered concerning that side of Anakin were from his own research. His own mother and uncle would tell him nothing of the Sith Lord. Almost like . . . they were hiding it from him. The logical explanation would be that they didn't want their father's actions to influence him. Ben didn't mind it as much in the past, but now a need was filling him, a longing to understand himself and his wish for power. He had to know. He had to understand.

He felt Ree hop down from the bed and move to stand in front of him. Her small hands placed themselves on top of his on his knees. Ben looked up from his pondering to see, not the worry and shock of before, but a warm and comforting gaze. She had seen the confliction in Ben's face.

"Forget I even asked. To be honest, it doesn't matter." Ben gave her a quizzical stare that begged for an explanation. She smiled. "It shouldn't matter what this Anakin did or Master Skywalker or anyone else. What should really matter to you is what _you_ do. I think you're pretty awesome all on your own, Ben. If you want to be great, then do that for yourself, not because of a family member. That way you don't have to worry as much about messing up. And when you do, because everyone messes up, you just have to get back up and try again. Channel all of that frustration of yours into getting better instead of getting angry, and I bet you can be even more impressive than this Anakin, all on your own."

Again, this child was treating him with kindness he felt he didn't deserve. Ben opened his mouth to thank her when she removed one of her hands to reach into her pocket. After a moment of fumbling, Ree pulled something out and pressed it into his empty hand. "Here," she said.

Ben rolled the flat object between his fingers and held it up to his eyes, which reflexively widened at what Ree had made.

It was the flower from the field. The dark purple one with the splattering of silver and the white center that Ben had picked for her. Ree had somehow entombed it within a thin sheet of circular glass.

She had turned it into a pendant.

"You don't want to know how hard it was to find a heat driver that could be calibrated to a low enough temperature to work with this type of glass," she giggled. "I must have completely fried about seven sheets from storage before I got it accurate enough to even try with the flower." She must have snuck into storage late last night. Who knew how late she stayed up working on this.

"Ree, this is awesome," Ben admired her work and even more so the fact that she did it for him, "but isn't it a little . . . girly?"

"Well, what else am I supposed to use for you to remember me by? I thought it represented our friendship pretty well!"

"You make it sound like you're leaving." She shook her head rapidly.

"Of course not! We promised. I just mean in general. If you ever get too mad or upset and I'm not around, you can look at the flower and remember me and our promise. You're not alone anymore, Benny. You don't have to worry so much." Ben lowered the pendant. He couldn't even meet Ree's eyes. This was the first time someone had given him a gift since he was a child. Gifts were considered too materialistic to be exchanged once he joined the temple.

"Thank you, Ree. For everything." He felt her arms awkwardly try to reach up and around his neck in a hug. He suppressed a chuckle and gave in to her demands, wrapping his arms around her and patting the back of her head. She pulled away with a grin.

"Your food's getting cold. You can eat now." Ben stood and gave a mock bow.

"Thank you, your grace, for entitling me to such a privilege!" The child giggled and headed to the door.

"Good night Benny."

"Good night Ree." She closed the door behind her. The warmth that was in Ben's chest faded with her absence. Despite Ree's blessing of a distraction, Ben was still dragged back to his previous predicament. Now he had Ree's words to take into consideration.

She didn't know Anakin, but she knew Vader. How much of the galaxy was the same? Why was it that the names of Jedi faded into the background, but the names of the Sith stood out? Fear, perhaps?

He rubbed his thumb against the smooth glass of the pendant. _Be great for myself . . . if only it was that easy, Ree._ No matter what he did, he would always be compared to his better family. Except now he wondered if the galaxy was even capable of that. If people couldn't recall someone as great as Anakin as a Jedi, then could he ever make his mark? That brought him back to the same subject everything seemed to be leading to.

He had to know more.

And he knew the one person that could tell him _everything_.

He pulled out the holo-disk and flicked it on, barely giving the image time to take shape.

"Tell me what you know about Darth Vader."

His grip on the pendant tightened as the story was told.


End file.
